THE 

DELAHOYDES 

BOY  LIFE 

ON   THE 

OLD   SANTA  FE   TRAIL 


BY 

COLONEL   HENRY  INMAN 

AUTHOR    OF   "THE  OLD  SANTA  F6  TRAIL,"    "A  PIONEER  FROM 

KENTUCKY,"  "TALES  OF  THE  TRAIL," 

ETC.,  ETC. 


CRANE  &  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS 

TOPEKA,  KANSAS 

i899 


Copyright,  1899,  by  CRANK  &  Co. 


PREFACE. 


THE  story  of  the  Delahoyde  Boys  is  not  pure  fiction, 
as  is  the  general  juvenile  tale  of  the  frontier.  The 
characters  are  all  drawn  from  life :  in  some  instances 
the  names  only  are  fictitious.  The  localities  are  true 
in  their  geographical  description,  and  the  incidents  of 
the  plot  are  real  experiences. 

In  its  natural  history,  the  author,  who  has  always 
been  a  close  observer,  has  supplemented  his  own 
knowledge  of  the  habits  and  characteristics  of  the 
animals,  birds  and  fishes  referred  to,  by  a  careful 
study  of  eminent  authorities  on  the  subject,  and  it 
is  believed  that  the  descriptions  in  this  book  are 
correct. 

The  incidents  in  the  lives  of  the  famous  men  who 
figure  in  the  story  are  true  to  history,  and  are  not 
creations  of  the  author's  brain.  In  these  instances 
real  names  are  given,  and  events  are  recorded  which 
are  based  upon  actual  occurrences. 

(3) 


4  PREFACE. 

While  the  scenes  are  sometimes  a  little  sensational, 
and  perhaps  may  have  a  tendency  to  shock  the  sensi- 
bilities of  a  refined  nature,  unfamiliar  with  the  thrill- 
ing events  which  make  up  the  history  of  the  border, 
now  vanished  forever,  they  confirm  the  adage  that 
"Truth  is  stranger  than  fiction/'  H.  I. 


CONTENTS. 


PREFACE, 3 

CHAPTEE  I. 

Ancestry  of  the  Boys. —  Their  Home  on  the  Arkansas  River. — 
Animals  and  Birds  of  the  Region. —  Early  Education  of 
Carlos  and  Pierre. —  Their  Amusements. —  Interior  of  their 
Dwelling .  .  9 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Boys'  Duties  on  the  Ranch. —  Their  Love  for  Animals. — 
Their  Pets.—  Failure  to  Tame  the  Lynx.—  Their  Dogs.— 
Rabbit  and  Hare  Chasing.—  Fighting  Lynxes  at  Night.— 
Capture  of  a  Young  Elk. —  Fate  of  "  Tom."— Catching  An- 
telope Fawns.  —  An  Intelligent  Hound. —  How  the  Boys 
Dressed, 16 

CHAPTER  III. 

Camping  Out. —  Their  Equipage.  —  Their  Campfire. —  Shoot 
Blue-winged  Teal.  —  Description  of  these  Birds.  —  Catch  a 
Jack-Rabbit  for  the  Dogs.— Carlos  Goes  Fishing. —  Adventure 
with  a  Bear. —  Kill  a  Cub.  —  Pierre  Rescues  His  Brother. — 
Sounds  of  the  Night.  —  Shoot  a  Wild  Turkey.  — Manner  of 
Cooking. — Arrival  of  their  Father.— Return  Home,  .  .  .  .81 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Young  Bostonians  Meet  Carlos  and  Pierre. —  Dinner  in 
the  Indian  Traders'  Camp.— Talk  about  Wild  Turkeys. — 
The  Sandhill  Cranes  and  their  Antics. — In  the  Museum  at 
the  Dugout.— The  Pet  Bear,  "  Ephraim."—  Supper  al  fresco. 
—The  Big  Spring.— Moles  and  their  Habits, 56 

(5) 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Poisoning  Wolves. —Bathing  in  the  Big  Spring.— Fishing  with 
a  Trot-line.  —  Burton's  Curious  Catch.  —  The  Garpike. — 
Prairie  Grouse.  —  Otter,  and  their  Habits.  —  Hook  a  Soft- 
shell  Turtle. —  Talk  about  Animals  around  the  Campfire.— 
Story  of  the  Five  Skunks,  ....-> 77 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Sunday  at  the  Ranch. —  Summerfield  and  Burton  Discourse 
upon  a  Sabbath  in  the  Far  West.— A  Walk  Out  on  the 
Prairie.— The  Wild  Flowers.— Cyrus  and  Jupe  Kill  a  Gray 
Wolf.  —  Prairie  Dogs  and  the  Burrowing  Owl.  —  The  Old 
Santa  F6  Trail.  —  Stories  of  Adventure  Told  by  Mr.  Dela- 
hoyde 100 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Boys  Leave  the  Arkansas  on  a  Turkey-Hunt.  —  Plovers 
and  Sandpipers.  —  A  Herd  of  Buffalo.  —  Camp  on  Eagle 
Chief  Creek.  — All  Take  a  Swim.  — Go  to  the  Big  Turkey- 
Roost.— Actions  of  the  Immense  Flocks.  —  Great  Sport  in 
Shooting  them  by  Moonlight.  —  Return  to  Camp.  —  The 
Coyotes.  —  The  Kingfisher.  —  Hunt  Jack  -  Rabbits.  —  Bur- 
ton's Dream. —  Night  Attack  on  the  Lynxes. —  Return  to 
the  Ranch  on  the  Canadian, 124 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Tom  Norman,  the  Government  Scout,  Reports  Vast  Numbers 
of  Buffalo  South  of  the  Canadian.— A  Grand  Hunt  Pro- 
posed for  the  Morrow. — Stories  of  Adventure. — A  Comical 
Meeting  with  a  Grizzly  Bear. —  Fight  with  a  California 
Lion.  — Capture  of  a  Panther  Cub, 150 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Boys  Start  on  their  Buffalo-Hunt. —  Duck  Shooting. — 
Camp  on  the  Walnut.  —  Attacked  by  a  Pack  of  Gray 
Wolves.  —  The  Effect  of  Burnt  Gunpowder.  —  Camp  on 
Hackberry  Creek.  — Pierre  Shoots  a  Wild  Turkey  for  Sup- 
per. —  The  Buffalo -Hunt.  — The  Norther.  —  Lost  on  the 
Prairie.  —  Burton  Follows  Wrong  Star.  —  Runs  into  a  Co- 


CONTENTS.  7 

manche  Village.  —  Captured  by  the  Savages. —  Brought 
Before  a  Subordinate  Chief.  —  Guarded  Closely  by  War- 
riors.—The  Morning  Council.— Eed  Bear,  the  Head  Chief. 

—  Told  They  Would  Not  be  Killed.  —  Learning  to  Shoot 
with  Bow  and  Arrows. —  Negro  Captives. — Indian  Peculiar- 
ities.—The  Comanches.  —  Dress  of  the  Men  and  Women. 

—  The  Boys  are  Fitted  with  New  Suits, 159 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Comanches. — Their  Splendid  Horsemanship. — Tactics  in 
Battle. —  Manner  of  Capturing  Wild  Horses. —  Religion  of 
the  Tribe.  — Signals  of  the  Savages.  —  Burial  of  the  Dead. 

—  A  Raid  into  Mexico.  —  Warriors  Report  to  their  Head 
Chief .— Savage  Surgery.— Means  of  Transportation.— Their, 
Food. —  Camp  in  the  Mountains.— The  Boys  Tussle  with  a 
California  Lion.  —  Kill  a  Black  Bear.  —  Back  to  the  Vil- 
lage.—  Discontentment.  —  Red  Bear  Removes  the  Tribe  to 
the  Wichita  Mountains. — The  Boys  Talk  of  Trying  to  Make 
their  Escape, l£l 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Anxiety  at  the  Ranch  of  the  Delahoydes.— The  Peace  Com- 
mission.—  The  Treaty. — Broken  Faith  of  the  Government. 

—  First  Battle  with  the  Allied  Tribes.  —  The  Opening  of  the 
Celebrated  Winter  Campaign  by  General  Sheridan. —  Gen- 
eral Sully's  Fight. —  Establishment  of  Camp  Supply. — Gen- 
eral Ouster's  Famous  March.— The  Attack  on  Black  Kettle's 
Village.— A  Great  Victory.— Shooting  the  Ponies. —  Prison- 
ers.—  Arrival  of  the  Troopers  at  Camp  Supply  Again.— In 
the  Field.— The  Fate  of  Major  Elliott's  Command.— Gen- 
eral Custer's  Report, 217 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Boys  Run  Away  from  the  Comanches. — Their  Eventful 
Journey.— Their  Sequestered  Camps. —  Pierre  Kills  an  In- 
dian Runner.— Visit  to  the  Old  Ranch.— The  Storm.— The 
Buffalo-Hunter's  Cabin. —  A  Search  for  Meat.— Shoot  a  Doe. 

—  The  Terrible  Storm  Keeps  Them  Shut  Up  for  Several 
Days.— Start  on  their  Travels  Once  More.  — The  Sound  of 
the  Bugles.—  See  "Old  Glory."—  Start  for  the  Fort,    ...    245 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIH. 

•Toy  at  Camp  Supply.  —  General  Sheridan's  Buffalo-Hunt. — 
Arrival  of  the  Lost  Boys. —  Dine  with  General  Ouster. —  On 
the  Trail  to  Fort  Dodge. — Slaughter  of  the  Worn-out  Cav- 
alry Horses.—  Abandonment  of  their  Babies  by  the  Squaws. 
—  Arrival  at  Fort  Harker.  —  Joyful  Meeting  of  the  Dela- 
hoydes. —  Summerfield  and  Burton  Leave  for  their  Home. — 
After  Graduating,  Return  to  Kansas,  and  are  now  Wealthy 
Ranchmen.— Annual  Reunions  of  the  Delahoydes  and  their 
Boston  Friends, 271 


THE    DELAHOYDES. 

CHAPTER   I. 

ANCESTRY   OF    THE    BOYS. THEIR    HOME    ON   THE    ARKAN- 
SAS   RIVER. —  ANIMALS     AND    BIRDS     OF    THE    REGION. 

EARLY     EDUCATION     OF     CARLOB    AND    PIERRE. THEIR 

AMUSEMENTS. — INTERIOR    OF    THEIR   DWELLING. 

PIERRE  DELAHOYDE  was  an  old-time  French- 
Canadian  trapper,1  who  had  been  an  employe  of 
the  American  Fur  Company  as  early  as  1820. 
He  died  at  the  ripe  age  of  ninety-three,  at  his  home 
on  the  North  Platte,  Wyoming,  in'  1865.     As  was  the 
custom  of  men  of  his  vocation,  he  married  a  squaw, 
a  Cheyenne,2  and  had  one  son,  also  named  Pierre. 

The  younger  Pierre3  Delahoyde  was  sent,  when  about 
fifteen  years  old,  to  school  at  St.  Louis,  as  his  father 
did  not  want  to  subject  his  only  boy  to  all  the  demor- 
alizing influences  incident  to  the  life  of  a  trapper,  and 
he  remained  away  from  his  home  until  he  was  twenty- 
three,  after  having  been  graduated  with  honors  by  the 
University  of  Missouri. 

1  Trappers  were  men  who  in  the  days  before  the  settlement  of  the  Great  Plains 
and  Rocky  Mountains  were  employed  by  the  fur  companies,  to  live  out  in  those 
wild  regions  and  catch  the  beaver,  mink,  and  other  animals  valuable  for  their  skins. 

2  The  Cheyenne  tribe  of  Indians  take  their  name  from  the  French  word  c/iien, 
meaning  dog. 

3  Pierre,  from  petrus,  Latin,  meaning  a  piece  of  stone  ;  and  is  French  for  Peter. 

O) 


10  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

Pierre,  however,  having  an  instinctively  unconquera- 
ble love  for  the  wild  life  of  the  mountains  and  plains, 
inherited  from  his  father,  and  the  natural  savage  tastes 
of  his  Indian  mother,  chose  to  be  a  trapper,  too,  in 
which  vocation  he  continued  until  1866,  when  the  ad- 
vent of  the  railroads  into  the  interior  of  the  continent, 
and  its  incident  rush  of  immigration,  virtually  ended 
the  traffic  forever. 

In  1850  he  squatted  on  a  piece  of  land  bordering  the 
Arkansas  river,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Walnut,  a  short 
distance  from  where  the  historic  Santa  Fe  trail  crossed 
that  stream. 

He  had  married  the  daughter  of  Carlos  Beaubien, 
another  old-time  trapper  and  boon  companion  of  his 
father,  and  had  two  boys  to  whom  were  given  the  an- 
cestral names  of  their  grandfathers. 

He  lived  in  a  primitive  dugout  near  the  bank  of  the 
stream,  and  there  his  children  were  born.  It  was 
merely  an  excavation  in  the  bluff,  walled  up  on  the  in- 
side with  stone;  the  roof  formed  of  saplings  placed 
close  together,  over  which  about  three  feet  of  grass  was 
lain,  the  whole  covered  with  dirt,  a  layer  of  sod  and 
rocks.  It  had  three  doors  but  no  windows,  the  light 
from  the  entrances  being  deemed  as  sufficient;  while 
the  floor  was  the  natural  earth,  pounded  to  a  hardness 
as  compact  as  that  of  the  toughest  wood. 

No  rain  ever  filtered  through  the  thick  roof,  and  it 
was  as  dry  as  the  best  of  shingles  could  have  made  it. 

There  were  five  rooms  in  the  dugout,  one  of  which 


THEIR    HOME    ON    ?HE    ARKANSAS    RIVER  ll 

was  called  "  the  museum,"  and  claimed  solely  by  Pierre 
and  Carlos,  for  their  collection  of  objects  in  natural 
history, —  of  which  farther  on. 

The  furniture  was  of  the  rudest  character.  The  beds 
were  formed  of  the  crotches  of  small  saplings,  driven 
in  the  ground,  in  which  were  placed  short  pieces  the 
same  width  of  the  bed,  over  which  poles  were  laid 
lengthways,  and  the  mattresses  composed  of  seven  buf- 
falo robes  each,  their  coverings  also  buffalo  robes,  and 
the  pillows  flour-sacks  stuffed  with  prairie-grass.  There 
were  three  or  four  chairs,  fashioned  by  the  old  trapper 
of  the  natural  wood,  and  which  in  an  Eastern  home 
would  be  considered  rather  artistic,  rustic  affairs,  such 
as  are  often  to  be  seen  on  the  lawns  of  country  gentle- 
men's homes.  The  only  table  was  also  a  crude  thing, 
made  of  slabs  from  the  tree,  smoothed  with  an  axe. 

The  fireplace  was  a  huge  one,  built  of  stone,  the 
jhimney  above  leading  out  of  the  roof,  formed  of  sticks 
laid  crosswise  after  the  manner  that  children  build 
their  corncob  houses  in  the  country,  and  the  interstices 
chinked  with  mud.  There  was  an  abundance  of  timber 
in  the  region  at  that  early  day  on  the  Walnut,  and  it 
would  have  required  much  less  labor  to  construct  a 
cabin ;  but  a  dugout  is  cooler  in  summer  and  warmer 
in  winter,  hence  the  character  of  their  dwelling  was 
purely  a  matter  of  choice. 

So  remote  from  the  nearest  settlements  was  this 
ranch  011  the  Walnut,  that  it  was  impossible  to  procure 
any  furniture  less  than  hundreds  of  miles  distant;  so 


12  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

the  primitiveness  of  the  appointments  of  their  home 
was  not  from  lack  of  means  on  the  part  of  the  trapper, 
or  indisposition  to  have  it,  but  due  to  the  difficulty  in 
procuring  it.  Rude  as  everything  was,  their  home  was 
kept  scrupulously  clean,  for  Mrs.  Delahoyde  had  been 
reared  in  a  semi-cultured  family  in  one  of  the  large 
towns  in  New  Mexico. 

As  the  era  of  trapping  had  closed  about  sixteen  years 
after  Mr.  Delahoyde  took  up  his  claim,  he  engaged  in 
the  stock  business,  which  was  just  then  developing  all 
over  the  "Far  West." 

The  site  selected  for  his  home  was  a  perfect  wilder- 
ness of  beauty.  The  silent  river  which  flowed  rhyth- 
mically a  few  yards  from  the  crudely  picturesque  home, 
and  the  gentle  soughing  of  the  breeze  in  the  forest 
which  surrounded  and  overshadowed  it,  were  a  sooth- 
ing lullaby,  which  only  those  can  appreciate  who  have 
tasted  the  solitude  of  Nature  in  all  her  charm  of  isola- 
tion from  the  conventionalities  of  a  busy  civilization, 
an  absolute  immunity  from  all  the  disturbing  elements 
which  characterize  the  features  of  a  great  city. 

The  whole  region  was  a  veritable  hunter's  paradise. 
The  deep  woods  which  fringed  the  river  on  both  banks 
for  many  miles,  was  the  home  of  the  Lynx,  or  wildcat 
as  it  is  commonly  called, — though  in  fact  there  are  no 
wildcats  on  the  American  continent ;  all  so-called  wild- 
cats are  lynxes.  The  lynx  has  a  short  tail  a  little 
longer  than  its  head,  while  the  wildcat's  tail  is  as  long 
as  his  body.  Another  difference  between  the  two  aui- 


ANIMALS    AND   BIRDS    OF    THE    REGION  13 

mals  is  that  the  ears  of  the  lynx  are  tufted,  while  those 
of  the  wildcat  are  not ;  and  the  lynx  also  lacks  the  pre- 
canine  molar  which  is  found  in  the  teeth  of  the  wild- 
cat. On  the  open  prairie  beyond  the  timber,  vast  herds 
of  buffalo  and  antelope  roamed,  and  the  wolves  were 
found  in  great  numbers  all  along  the  stream  for  miles, 
where  their  dens  were  made  in  the  rocky,  precipitous 
bluffs  bordering  it. 

The  different  varieties  —  the  white,  the  gray,  the 
brindle,  and  their  despicable  congener  the  coyote,  the 
latter  a  thorough  vagabond,  outcast  and  Ishmaelite1  of 
the  Plains  —  were  almost  as  innumerable  as  the  cotton- 
tails and  the  jack-rabbits. 

It  is  not  generally  known,  perhaps,  that  with  the  ex- 
ception of  an  obliquity  in  the  position  of  the  eyes,  and 
a  variation  in  the  matter  of  ears,  there  is  little  anatom- 
ical difference  between  the  wolf  family  and  the  dog. 
The  ears  of  the  wild  animal  are  always  pricked,  the 
lopped  or  drooping  ear  being  essentially  a  mark  of  civ- 
ilization. 

In  the  era  of  which  I  write,  through  the  geographical 
region  described,  where  there  were  no  restraining  influ- 
ences, the  mountain  wolves  and  the  gray  wolves  of  the 
prairie  joined  forces  and  hunted  in  packs,  and  were 
then  seen  at  their  greatest  and  bravest,  fairly  exceed- 
ing all  other  animals  in  shrewdness. 

1  Ishmaelite,  a  term  taken  from  the  Bible :  one  resembling  Ishmael,  whose 
hand  was  against  every  man  and  every  man's  hand  against  him ;  one  at  war 
against  society.  Hence  the  coyote  is  called  the  Ishmaelite  of  the  Plains,  because 
he  is  "  against "  every  other  animal,  and  they  against  him. 


14  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

In  the  springtime  great  squadrons  of  cranes  sailed 
high  in  the  air,  and  the  eagle,  our  national  bird,  built 
his  nest  far  up  on  the  limbs  of  the  dead  cottonwood 
and  elm  trees.  The  river  and  its  branches  abounded 
in  fish,  principally  cat  and  buffalo,  together  with  little 
sun-perch,  and  that  most  ancient  of  all  fish,  whose  an- 
cestry dates  back  to  the  Devonian  period,1  the  garpike,2 
a  non-edible  species.  The  catfish  sometimes  weighed 
sixty  or  seventy  pounds,  and  when  one  of  these  great 
fellows  was  hooked,  it  required  all  the  strength  of  the 
boys  to  land  it. 

Pierre  and  Carlos,  as  soon  as  they  were  old  enough  to 
handle  a  rifle,  were  carefully  taught  by  their  father 
how  to  use  it,  so  that  when  ten  years  of  age  they  be- 
came experts  and  could  hit  anything  within  range, 
though  it  were  only  a  bird  as  small  as  a  wren.  *  Well 
educated  himself,  as  has  been  stated,  the  devoted  father 
became  the  tutor  of  his  sons,  setting  apart  a  portion  of 
the  morning  and  evening  of  each  day  to  their  educa- 
tion. They  could  both  read  and  write  well,  had  a  fair 
knowledge  of  the  history  and  geography  of  their  coun- 
try, as  well  as  that  of  foreign  nations,  and  were  prob- 

1  The  Devonian  period  Is  one  of  the  great  divisions,  geologically  speaking,  of 
the  earth's  strata,  next  to  the  oldest  of  all.  Rocks  of  the  Devonian  period  occur 
widely  in  the  United  States,  as  well  as  In  Europe.  They  abound  in  fossil  plants 
and  animals,  Including  fishes  of  many  varieties,  one  of  the  largest  of  which  was 
probably  fifteen  feet  long,  and  according  to  the  opinion  of  geologists  could  have 
easily  taken  off  a  man's  head  at  a  bite.  They  were,  in  fact,  armor-clad  like  the  gar- 
pike,  from  which  the  latter  common  fish  has  descended.  The  latter  has  degener- 
ated, being  much  smaller  than  its  remote  ancestor. 

*The  garpike  Is  a  fish  belonging  to  the  genus  of  pikes,  with  a  very  long  snout, 
the  under  jaw  much  shorter  than  the  upper.  Its  scales  are  hard  and  knobby. 


THEIR    AMUSEMENTS  15 

ably  better  educated  than  the  average  American  boy 
born  and  reared  on  the  extreme  Western  frontier. 

As  is  generally  the  case,  boys  reared  remote  from  the 
confines  of  civilization  necessarily  hold  closer  commun- 
ion with  the  visible  forms  of  nature  than  do  those  of 
the  great  cities.  To  this  rule  Carlos  and  Pierre  formed 
no  exception ;  or  rather,  in  them  it  was  developed  be- 
yond the  ordinary.  Baseball,  billiards,  marbles,  kite- 
flying and  other  amusements  incident  to  civilization 
were  as  unknown  a  quantity  to  the  little  trappers,  as  is 
the  x  in  algebra.  Having  no  neighbors  nearer  than  a 
hundred  miles,  excepting  the  rough  crowd  at  the  stage 
stations,  they  were  thrown  upon  their  own  resources 
for  amusements,  and  their  talents  were  directed  to  the 
study  of  the  various  animals  and  birds  whose  habitat 
was  in  the  region  where  their  home  was  located.  They 
observed  and  studied  all  the  animals,  and  not  even  the 
reptiles  failed  to  escape  their  attention.  In  a  few 
years  they  collected  such  a  large  number  of  pets  that 
they  alone  would  have  constituted  a  small  menagerie. 
Their  father's  knowledge  of  the  fur-bearing  animals 
was  very  extensive,  because  of  his  life-long  vocation  in 
that  direction ;  and  as  he  loved  his  boys,  and  was  a 
most  indulgent  father,  he  took  great  pains  to  train 
their  young  minds  to  the  study  of  animate  nature,  in 
which  he  himself  was  so  well  versed. 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE  BOYS'  DUTIES  ON  THE  RANCH. THEIR  LOVE  FOR  ANI- 
MALS.—  THEIR  PETS. —  FAILURE  TO  TAME   THE    LYNX. — 

THEIR   DOGS. —  RABBIT  AND   HARE   CHASING. FIGHTING 

LYNXES  AT  NIGHT. —  CAPTURE  OF  A  YOUNG  ELK. —  FATE 
OF  "TOM." — CATCHING  ANTELOPE  FAWNS. AN  INTEL- 
LIGENT HOUND. —  HOW  THE  BOYS  DRESSED. 

THE  absolute  work  which  Pierre  and  Carlos  were 
required  to  perform  on  their  remote  ranch  was 
very  light;  in  fact,  it  was  so  little  laborious 
that  it  seemed  like  mere  play.  It  consisted  solely  of 
herding  the  relatively  small  number  of  cattle  their 
father  possessed,  which  duty  was  always  performed  on 
horseback,  as  each  of  the  boys  owned  three  of  the  hardy 
little  Indian  ponies.  They  met  with  many  adventures 
while  herding,  and  had  such  unusual  opportunities  for 
observing  the  habits  of  the  many  wild  animals  and 
great  variety  of  birds  with  which  they  became  ac- 
quainted during  their  life  on  the  ranch,  that  nearly 
all  their  hours  of  sunshine  were  filled  with  amusement, 
rather  than  with  what  could  strictly  be  called  labor. 
The  only  thing  that  approached  it  was  the  cultivation 
of  a  small  garden-strip  along  the  margin  of  one  of  the 
creeks  near  home,  where  the  soil  was  exceedingly  rich, 

(16) 


THEIR   LOVE    FOR    ANIMALS  17 

and  which  was  irrigated l  by  a  spring  flowing  out  of  the 
wall  of  rock  forming  the  canon  through  which  the 
stream  ran.  There  was  no  attempt  made  at  farming 
on  a  large  scale,  as  climatic  conditions  precluded  its 
possibility,  excepting  under  a  complicated  system  of 
irrigation,  which  for  that  then  remote  region  was 
something  very  far  in  the  future. 

With  an  abundance  of  leisure  on  their  hands,  and 
virtually  having  no  neighbors,  the  boys  were  thrown 
upon  their  own  resources  for  amusement,  and  their 
efforts  in  quest  of  it  were  directed  to  the  study  of 
natural  history. 

Pierre  and  Carlos  had  a  variety  of  living  pets, —  as 
what  boy  on  the  frontier  does  not  ?  Among  these  were 
a  coyote,  an  antelope,  several  prairie-dogs,  a  bear,  an 
elk,  some  moles,  and  even  a  rattlesnake.  They  had 
made  several  attempts  to  tame  young  lynxes,  but  had 
to  give  it  up  as  a  failure ;  so  they  were  compelled  to  kill 
the  quarrelsome  brutes,  as  all  the  kindness  bestowed 
upon  them  was  fruitless  of  beneficial  results,  and  they 
were  mounted  and  placed  in  the  museum,  with  other 
animals  and  birds  the  boys  had  captured  for  that  pur- 
pose. 

Of  course  both  Pierre  and  Carlos  owned  dogs,  sev- 
eral of  them, —  for  what  would  a  young  boy's  life 

1  IRRIGATION.—  In  the  early  days  of  watering  by  artificial  methods,  simple  little 
ditches  were  constructed,  often  with  only  a  common  hoe,  through  which  the  water 
flowed  to  the  garden-patches.  Irrigation  on  a  large,  complicated  scale,  requires 
the  construction  of  expensive  ditches,  miles  long, .  the  water  being  directed  into 
them  from  some  river,  like  that  of  the  Arkansas,  in  western  Kansas,  or  the  erection 
of  pumping  stations ;  these  enterprises  sometimes  costing  a  million  dollars,  and 
being  controlled  by  a  company. 

-2 


18  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

be  worth  on  a  ranch  without  his  most  faithful  friend 
and  companion,  even  though  the  animal  should  be  the 
meanest  of  mongrels  ?  Most  of  those  belonging  to 
them,  however,  were  hounds, — some  of  rare,  large  breed, 
great  shaggy-haired  fellows  that  hunted  by  scent  alone, 
and  were  a  match,  singly,  for  the  biggest  and  most  fe- 
rocious of  wolves.  Many  times  they  had  been  engaged 
in  hard-fought  battles  with  them,  and  when  not  out- 
numbered, had  invariably  been  Ihe  victors.  The  boys 
also  possessed  four  common  greyhounds,  noted  for  their 
swiftness,  but  which  hunted  by  sight  only. 

The  country  was  filled  with  hares,  or  jack-rabbits,  as 
they  are  called,  and  the  little  cottontails, — the  genuine 
rabbit.  One  of  the  distinguishing  characteristics  be- 
tween the  species  is,  that  the  hare  makes  his  lair1  on 
top  of  the  ground,  generally  in  some  thick  mat  of  grass, 
while  the  rabbit-warrens  are  burrows  underneath  the 
surface,  or  in  holes  in  the  ledges  of  rock. 

The  boys  had  rare  sport  at  all  seasons,  mounted 
on  their  ponies  and  following  the  greyhounds  after 
the  swift  little  aniipals,  and  the  dogs  were  so  perfectly 
trained  that  when  they  caught  sight  of  one  it  rarely  es- 
caped: stewed  or  broiled  rabbit  was  quite  a  prominent 
factor  in  the  family  larder. 

The  hounds  were  broken  to  chase  the  hare  or  cotton- 
tail in  the  following  manner : 

The  dog  which  first  sighted  one  went  directly  after 
him,  the  others  keeping  in  the  rear  of  the  leader,  but 

1  Lrtr,  an  Anglo-Saxon  word  meaning,  literally,  a  couch ;  hence,  the  resting- 
place  of  any  wild  beast. 


FIGHTING   LYNXES    AT   NIGHT  19 

spread  out  at  intervals  of  ten  or  twenty  feet,  keeping 
their  eyes  on  their  quarry,  watching  closely  when  he 
bolted  sideways  or  suddenly  doubled  on  his  tracks, 
and  then  the  nearest  hound,  having  plenty  of  room  to 
turn  himself,  would  take  up  the  chase.  Then  the  first 
hound,  whose  impetus  had  sent  him  far  ahead  in  a 
straight  line  the  way  he  was  going,  would  drop  behind, 
and  take  his  place  in  the  rear,  watching  for  his  chance 
to  run  ahead  when  the  rabbit  turned  again.  Some- 
times the  little  animal  succeeded  in  getting  no  farther 
away  from  where  he  was  flushed  than  twenty  or  thirty 
yards,  when  the^fiound  that  was  directly  after  him 
would  get  close  enough  to  shove  his  long  nose  under 
him,  toss  him  in  the  air,  catch  him  in  his  strong  jaws 
as  he  came  down, —  and  instantly  that  rabbit  was  dead  I 

Often  at  night — as  tlie  lynx  is  a  nocturnal  prowler 
—  Pierre  and  Carlos  would  sally  out  from  the  dugout 
accompanied  by  their  large  hounds,  and  have  many  an 
hour's  rare  sport  watching  them  tussle  with  the  plucky 
beasts.  The  lynx  was  easily  tracked  to  where  he  was 
prowling,  for  it  has  a  cry  strangely  similar  to  that  of  a 
child,  which  betrays  its  whereabouts.  The  animal  is 
no  coward,  and  will  fight  to  a  finish,  especially  when 
cornered,  and  then  he  makes  the  fur  fly  as  he  stands 
at  bay,  and  the  hounds  "  go  for"  him.  The  dogs  rarely 
came  out  of  the  battle  unscathed,  as  many  a  long  and 
deep  scratch  on  their  bodies,  which  they  carried  all 
their  lives,  indicated. 

Although  the  boys  possessed  a  great  number  of  pets, 


20  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

they  had  not  been  obtained  without  many  a  spirited 
adventure,  attended  sometimes  with  real  danger. 

One  afternoon  while  Carlos  was  returning  home  with 
the  herd  of  cattle  he  had  been  tending,  as  he  reached 
the  edge  of  the  timber  he  saw  a  young  elk  had  strayed 
from  the  side  of  its  mother;  so  he  determined  to  at- 
tempt its  capture,  failing  in  which,  he  intended  to  kill 
it  for  meat,  as  he  always  had  his  rifle  with  him.  He 
was  an  adept  at  throwing  the  lasso,  however,  which  was 
always  attached  to  the  horn  of  his  saddle,  ready  for  any 
emergency ;  so,  swinging  his  rope  over  his  head  as  the 
fawn  ran,  he  started  for  the  beautiful  little  animal. 
Throwing  it  swiftly,  it  caught  the  creature  around  the 
neck  and  brought  him  to  a  sudden  standstill.  So  ab- 
ruptly was  the  frightened  beast  stopped,  as  Carlos's 
pony  braced  his  fore  feet  when  he  felt  the  lasso  drawn 
tight,  as  he  was  trained  to  do,  the  elk  was  thrown 
sprawling  on  its  side.  The  moment  Carlos  loosened 
the  lasso  so  as  not  to  strangle  the  animal,  the  latter 
sprang  quickly  to  his  feet,  and,  bristling  with  fight, 
made  a  rush  for  the  pony.  The  hair  on  his  neck  was 
all  turned  the  wrong  way,  just  as  the  dog's  is  when  he 
is  going  to  have  a  tussle  with  another  of  his  species, 
and.it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  Carlos  could  con- 
trol the  little  fellow  until  he  hobbled  his  fore  feet  and 
subdued  his  fiery  nature. 

Fortunately,  the  place  where  the  new  pet  was  cap- 
tured happened  to  be  but  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
dugout;  so,  tying  his  prize  to  a  tree,  Carlos  jumped  on 


CAPTURE    OF    A   YOUNG   ELK  21 

his  pony  again,  and  thumping  its  sides  vigorously  with 
both  heels,  he  fairly  flew  down  the  trail  toward  home. 
Arriving  there  full  of  excitement,  he  told  Pierre  of  his 
great  fortune  in  lassoing  an  elk,  upon  which  Pierre 
jumped  on  his  pony,  which  was  already  saddled,  and 
both  boys  hurried  back  to  the  spot  where  Carlos  had 
left  the  animal.  Reaching  there  in  a  few  moments, 
they  found  the  young  elk  safe  and  unhurt,  although  it 
was  evident  he  had  made  desperate  efforts  to  free  him- 
self, as  the  earth  all  around  the  tree  to  which  he  had 
been  fastened  was  cut  up  by  his  sharp  hoofs  as  if  it  had 
been  dug  with  a  spade. 

Getting  their  valuable  capture  safely  home,  the  boys 
were  soon  at  work  building  a  corral  for  the  pet,  from 
saplings,  large  enough  for  him  to  have  sufficient  exer- 
cise but  high  enough  to  prevent  his  jumping  out,  at 
which  he  made  several  abortive  attempts,  the  moment 
he  was  placed  in  the  inclosure.  This  was  intended  as 
a  temporary  structure  only,  as  the  boys,  knowing  well 
the  nature  of  elk,  were  satisfied  that  as  soon  as  he  was 
tamed  he  would  follow  them  around  like  a  dog,  and 
becoming  accustomed  to  his  surroundings  would  feel 
perfectly  contented  and  not  stray  away. 

Fortunately  for  the  boys,  the  elk  had  been  weaned, 
so  all  they  had  to  do  was  to  cut  the  tender  grass  and 
feed  the  little  animal,  which  in  less  than  ten  days  had 
become  so  attached  to  its  young  masters  that,  as  they 
had  predicted,  it  was  apparently  never  perfectly  con- 
tented when  out  of  their  sight. 


22  THE    DEtAHOYDES 

The  elk  grew  to  be  an  immense  fellow,  and  grazed 
around  the  dugout  in  company  with  the  cows. 

The  boys  named  him  "Tom,"  and  his  neck  was  fit- 
ted with  a  broad  collar  of  red  flannel,  wrought  with 
beads  in  the  highest  style  of  Indian  art  by  their 
mother,  and  to  the  collar  was  attached  a  small  bell. 

The  milk  cows,  numbering  half  a  dozen,  never 
roamed  far  from  home ;  they  took  a  strange  fancy  to 
Tom,  and  would  follow  him  everywhere.  The  tinkle 
of  that  bell  seemed  to  infatuate  them  as  does  the  bell- 
mare  of  a  train  of  pack-mules.  Tom  always  led  them 
to  the  best  pasturage,  or  where  the  choicest  browsing 
was  to  be  found,  as  he  instinctively  seemed  to  know 
just  at  what  time  the  different' varieties  of  grasses  on 
the  prairie,  and  the  shrubs  in  the  great  woods,  were  at 
their  best.  The  boys  were  never  at  a  loss  to  know 
where  the  cows  were,  or  how  far  off,  being  ever  guided 
by  the  "tintinnabulation"  of  that  never-silent  bell, 
as  its  sound  was  wafted  through  the  pure  atmosphere, 
— rarely  any  other  noise  disturbing  it,  excepting  in  the 
summer-time  by  the  monotonous  droning  of  innumera- 
ble insects,  or  in  winter  by  the  occasional  howling  of  a 
wolf. 

Tom's  fate  was  a  sad  one.  Going  out  together  after 
the  cows  one  evening  about  sundown,  as  was  their  cus- 
tom, the  boys  noticed  with  surprise  the  absence  of  that 
familiar  tinkle  of  the  bell  on  the  elk's  neck,  and  soon 
coming  up  to  the  animals,  which  were  in  one  of  their 
favorite  haunts  at  that  time  of  year  ( it  was  early  in 


FATE  OF  "TOM"  23 

the  spring),  they  saw  at  once  that  Tom  was  not  with 
them.  The  cows  appeared  uneasy,  and  commenced  to 
low  the  moment  Pierre  and  Carlos  came  in  sight,  as  if 
they  wished  to  indicate  to  them  that  their  companion 
was  gone. 

Both  Carlos  and  Pierre  were  dumbfounded.  At  first 
they  were  at  a  loss  what  to  do,  or  which  way  to  turn. 
They  knew  that  there  were  no  wild  beasts  in  the  region 
}xcepting  the  wolves,  large  enough  to  kill  their  pet, 
and  as  these  animals  generally  go  on  their  predatory 
3xcursions  in  the  night,  it  was  not  at  all  probable  that 
they  had  killed  and  devoured  him ;  besides,  some  signs 
would  have  been  visible  if  such  had  been  the  case.  The 
hide,  or  at  least  pieces  of  it,  would  have  been  left,  and 
it  would  have  been  impossible  for  the  wolves  to  devour 
Tom's  antlers,  which  were  now  large,  as  he  was  fully 
two  years  old. 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other  in  mute  astonishment 
for  a  few  moments,  when  Pierre  suggested  to  Carlos 
that  he  drive  the  cows  home,  while  he  wandered  around 
through  the  woods  to  find  out  what  had  become  of  Tom. 

Pierre  was  a  natural  trailer,  having  studied  the  art 
so  well  that  he  could  tell  by  the  pressure  upon  a  leaf  or 
the  grass  what  animal  had  trodden  upon  it,  and  in 
which  direction  it  was  going. 

Pierre  stood  for  a  few  minutes  until  Carlos  with  the 
cows  was  out  of  sight,  then  commenced  to  hunt  around 
for  tracks  of  the  elk,  as  he  wandered  forward  and  back- 
ward over  the  ground  where  the  animals  had  been 


04  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

feeding,  and  was  rewarded  at  last  by  discovering  the 
hoof-prints  of  his  pet  leading  toward  the  river.  He 
followed  them  very  intently,  now  knowing  well  he 
could  track  the  elk  to  where  it  was.  After  walking 
slowly  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  he  saw  ahead  of 
him,  partly  hidden  in  a  patch  of  timber,  a  steep  preci- 
pice formed  by  the  bluffs,  at  the  foot  of  which  the 
river  flowed.  He  walked  to  its  edge,  looked  over,  and 
to  his  great  grief  and  astonishment  saw  the  body  of 
poor  Tom  lying  upon  the  cruel  rocks  below.  It  re- 
quired only  one  look,  as  he  recognized  the  red  collar  ' 
with  its  bell  attached,  to  satisfy  him  that,  alas  1  poor 
Tom  was  dead ! 

Almost  overpowered  by  his  feelings,  Pierre  scrambled 
down  to  the  river  bank ;  and  it  must  be  confessed  the 
boy  shed  a  few  tears,  as  he  laid  his  hands  upon  the 
cold  body  of  Tom.  Then,  philosopher  as  he  really 
was,  he  began  to  theorize  as  to  the  cause  of  the  ani- 
mal's death.  It  required  but  very  little  observation  tc 
determine  the  fact  that  the  elk  had  incautiously  ap- 
proached too  near  the  precipice,  and  probably  in  step- 
ping upon  the  loose  stones  which  were  scattered  around, 
had  tumbled  over,  and  the  fall  had  broken  his  neck. 

Pierre  slowly  retraced  his  steps  to  the  cabin,  and 
when  he  told  the  fate  of  poor  Tom  there  was  genuine 
grief  in  the  little  family,  for  .the  old  folks  as  weir  as 
the  boys  were  sincerely  attached  to  the  elk. 

During  the  two  years  the  boys  had  lived  on  the  ranch 
they  had  made  many  attempts  to  catch  a  young  ante- 


CATCHING  ANTELOPE  FAWNS  25 

lope,  but  had  signally  failed.  One  morning  in  May, 
while  Pierre  was  out  011  the  prairie  about  five  miles 
from  the  dugout  herding  the  cattle,  he  saw  in  the  dis- 
tance a  herd  of  about  a  hundred,  with  lots  of  the  cov- 
eted little  animals  among  them.  They  were  quietly 
feeding,  and  as  the  family  had  been  out  of  fresh  meat 
for  three  or  four  days,  Pierre  thought  that  here  was  an 
opportunity  to  replenish  their  larder  and  capture  one 
or  two  fawns.  He  called  Cyrus,  one  of  the  most  intel- 
ligent hounds,  a  dog  that  he  claimed  for  his  very  own, 
which  always  went  hunting  with  him,  and  which  he 
had  taught  a  series  of  tricks.  Taking  a  piece  of  paper 
out  of  his  pocket,  he  wrote  a  few  words  upon  it,  and 
tying  it  to  the  dog's  neck,  he  ordered  him  to  take  it 
home.  The  intelligent  animal  promptly  obeyed,  and 
started  on  the  run  for  the  dugout;  arriving  there  in 
less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  he  immediately  hunted 
up  Carlos,  who  was  working  in  the  little  garden-patch. 
Noticing  the  note  fastened  to  the  dog,  Carlos  took  it  off 
and  read  it.  It  said :  # 

"  Carl,  there  's  a  big  herd  of  antelope  about  a  half- 
mile  from  me,  and  lots  of  little  ones  with  it.  You 
better  come  out  as  quickly  as  possible  with  your  rifle, 
and  let 's  try  and  get  some.  I  cannot  leave  the  cattle 
unless  Cyrus  is  here;  he  '11  guide  you  to  where  I  am. 
Come  at  once.  PIERRE." 

Carlos,  boy-like,  dropped  his  hoe  just  where  he  was 
at  work,  hurriedly  got  his  pony,  which  was  picketed 


26  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

near  the  cabin,  saddled  him,  and  slipping  the  bridle- 
reins  over  the  animal's  head,  led  him  up  to  the  door, 
gave  them  to  Cyrus  to  hold,  while  he  went  in  for  his 
rifle,  buckled  a  belt  of  cartridges  around  his  waist, 
came  out  in  another  moment,  mounted  the  pony,  and 
started  to  where  his  brother  was,  following  the  hound, 
which  led  out  on  his  own  trail  beautifully.  He  arrived 
where  Pierre  was  waiting  for  him,  in  about  twenty  min- 
utes,— for  Cyrus  was  somewhat  tired,  and  had  occupied 
a  little  longer  time  than  he  had  in  going  home.  Car- 
los plainly  saw  the  antelope  which  his  brother  pointed 
out  to  him,  still  grazing  peacefully,  unconscious  of 
danger;  but  they  had  gradually  worked  nearer  to 
where  the  cattle  were,  than  when  Pierre  first  observed 
them. 

Both  of  the  boys  knew  very  well  how  instinctively 
curious  the  antelope  is,  and  feeling  satisfied  that  the 
herd  of  cattle  had  attracted  their  attention,  both  got 
off  their  ponies,  and  putting  the  loops  of  their  bridle- 
reins  into  the  dog's  mouth,  ordered  him  to  remain 
where  he  was  and  watch.  They  then  took  their  rifles 
and  crawled  into  a  big  patch  of  bunch-grass  about 
three  hundred  yards  away,  which  concealed  them  com- 
pletely. They  knew  very  well  that  if  they  patiently 
waited,  the  ordinarily  timid  animals,  attracted  by  the 
strange  appearance  of  the  cattle,  would  approach  near 
enough  for  them  to  get  a  shot,  and  if  they  happened  to 
kill  a  doe  with  a  young  one  at  her  side,  it  would  not 
leave  its  mother  and  they  could  easily  capture  it. 


CATCHING    ANTELOPE    FAWNS  27 

Pierre  and  Carlos,  long  before  their  patience  was  ex- 
hausted, saw  five  or  six  of  the  leaders  of  the  herd  of 
antelope,  together  with  about  the  same  number  of  does, 
accompanied  by  their  little  ones,  stop  feeding,  look  up 
and  gaze  intently  at  the  cattle,  which  were  still  graz- 
ing quietly.  Then  two  or  three  of  the  males  began  to 
jump  stiff-legged,  the  white  patch  on  their  rumps 
spreading  out,  an  indication  that  their  curiosity  was 
unusually  excited.  Presently  they  stopped  their  antics, 
and  deliberately  walked  with  their  heads  erect,  fol- 
lowed by  their  mates  and  little  ones,  right  up  to  where 
the  boys  were  concealed. 

Before  they  came  within  range,  Pierre  said  to  his 
brother : 

"  Now,  Carl,  let 's  both  of  us  shoot  a  doe,  if  possible, 
and  let  the  bucks  go,  even  if  we  have  to  4°  without 
meat,  for  what  we  want  now  is  little  ones." 

"All  right,"  said  Carl;  "you  see  those  two  does 
coming  up  this  way:  you  shoot  the  one  on  the  left, 
and  I  '11  take  the  one  on  the  right.  Of  course,  we  can 
get  but  one  shot  apiece,  and  if  we  kill  the  mothers,  we 
are  sure  of  the  fawns." 

' '  Hist  1  Carl, ' '  said  Pierre ;  ' '  here  they  come.  Take 
good  aim,  and  when  I  say,  '  Now  I  '  let 's  fire  together." 

The  boys  had  been  so  well  trained  in  the  art  of  hunt- 
ing, that  they  were  always  cool  under  the  most  excit- 
ing circumstances ;  so  when  Pierre  gave  the  word,  both 
rifles  were  discharged  simultaneously,  and  the  two  does 
they  had  aimed  at  fell  dead.  The  rest  of  the  herd  scam- 


28  THE    DELAHOYDES 

pered  off  at  the  height  of  their  speed,  and  were  soon 
lost  to  sight  in  the  purple  mist  of  the  horizon. 

Pierre  and  Carl  jumped  up  and  rushed  to  where  their 
dead  game  lay.  The  fawns,  in  their  innocence,  stand- 
ing over  the  dead  bodies  of  their  mothers,  were  easily 
captured.  Pierre  took  a  piece  of  twine  out  of  his 
pocket,  fastened  the  legs  of  the  little  ones  together, 
hurried  to  where  the  ponies  were,  and  returned  with 
them.  Leaving  Cyrus  to  watch  the  cattle,  he  packed 
the  dead  carcasses  of  the  does  behind  the  cantle l  of  the 
saddles,  and,  carefully  lifting  their  prizes  in  front  of 
them,  rode  back  to  the  herd  and  started  it  back  to 
the  ranch,  as  they  did  not  dare  to  leave  it.  Having 
captured  the  fawns  for  which  they  had  so  long  wished, 
they  did  not  want  to  take  any  chances  of  losing  them 
by  remaining  out  on  the  prairie  until  evening. 

The  boys  were  more  than  an  hour  in  reaching  the 
dugout,  as  they  could  not  run  the  cattle,  but  no  harm 
had  come  to  the  fawns.  They  were  taken  into  the 
house,  and  given  some  milk,  of  which  there  was  always 
more  than  could  be  used  at  the  ranch,  and  it  only  re- 
quired about  ten  minutes  for  the  little  ones  to  take  as 
naturally  to.  the  new  method  of  eating,  as  if  they  were 
pursing  their  mother. 

The  fawns  throve  splendidly,  and  in  less  than  a  week 
were  as  gentle  as  kittens,  following  everyone  in  the 
house  around ;  so  outrageously  tame  did  they  become, 

1  Cantle,  the  projecting  part  in  the  rear  of  those  saddles  used  In  the  army  and 
l.y  plainsmen. 


HOW    THE    BOYS   DRESSED  29 

that  they  were  ever  getting  under  one's  feet.  They 
soon  became  used  to  their  new  surroundings ;  grazed 
on  the  bluffs  above  the  dugout,  rarely  straying  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  and  never  failing  to  re- 
turn promptly  at  sundown,  to  the  little  corral  and 
shed  that  Pierre  and  Carlos  had  made  for  them. 

They  were  the  most  attractive  pets  of  the  many  that 
the  boys  possessed ;  so  graceful  in  all  their  movements, 
and  so  affectionate.  They  never  appeared  to  be  afraid 
of  the  dogs,  which  at  first  were  inclined  to  inspect 
them  too  closely;  but  a  word  or  two  from  the  boys 
soon  made  them  understand  that  the  antelope  were  as 
much  a  part  of  the  family  as  themselves. 

The  boys'  clothes  were  as  picturesque  and  wild  as 
their  surroundings.  The  nearest  trader  was  at  the 
military  post  of  Fort  Larned,  on  the  Arkansas,  forty 
miles  up  the  river.  Journeys  were  made  there  but  two 
or  three  times  a  year,  for  such  articles  as  were  indis- 
pensable for  the  family  —  coffee,  sugar,  flour,  salt,  and 
dry  goods,  which  latter  comprised  only  calico  for  the 
mother's  dresses,  muslin  for  underwear,  and  stockings. 
For  everything  else  in  the  way  of  clothing,  the  family 
depended  upon  the  well-tanned  hides  of  the  animals 
shot  or  trapped  in  the  vicinity  of  their  home. 

Carlos,  Pierre  and  their  father  wore  coats  and  trou- 
sers made  of  the  finest  skins  of  the  common  red  deer, 
so  abundant  in  the  region.  Their  feet  were  covered 
with  moccasins  of  the  same  material,  and  their  heads 


30  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

by  a  fanciful  cap  made  of  the  breast-feathers  of  the 
male  mallard  duck  (so  beautiful  in  their  iridescence) 
for  the  summer,  and  a  lynx  or  coonskin  cap  for  winter. 
All  these  articles  were  fashioned  by  the  deft  hands 
of  their  mother,  who  was  an  adept  in  the  peculiar 
bead-  and  needle- work  of  the  Indian  women,  with  whom, 
during  her  early  life,  she  had  necessarily  been  closely 
associated. 

Although  their  apparel  would  have  excited  surprise 
and  wonder  among  people  in  a  highly  cultivated  so- 
ciety, it  was  nevertheless  as  comfortable,  and 'fitted  as 
well,  as  if  made  by  the  most  fashionable  tailor. 

Their  saddles,  bridles,  and  other  paraphernalia  used 
in  connection  with  their  almost  constant  life  on  horse- 
back, were  also  highly  ornamented,  the  boys'  tastes  in 
that  direction  having  probably  been  inherited  from 
their  dusky  ancestors,  as  among  all  savage  tribes  a 
love  for  gaudy  appointments  is  characteristic. 


CHAPTER    III. 

CAMPING    OUT. THEIR    EQUIPAGE. —  THEIR    CAMPFIRE. — 

SHOOT  BLUEWING  TEAL.  —  DESCRIPTION  OF  THESE 
BIRDS. —  CATCH  A  JACKRABBIT  FOR  THE  DOGS. CAR- 
LOS GOES  FISHING. —  ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BEAR. KILL 

A   CUB. —  PIERRE    RESCUES    HIS    BROTHER. SOUNDS    OF 

THE  NIGHT. —  SHOOT  A  WILD  TURKEY. —  MANNER  OF 
COOKING. —  ARRIVAL  OF  THEIR  FATHER. —  RETURN 
HOME. 

IN  midsummer  Pierre  and  Carlos  often  camped  out 
for  weeks  at  a  time,  their  indulgent  father  cheer- 
fully granting  permission,  and  as  cheerfully  re- 
mained at  home,  herded  the  cattle  and  did  the  other 
chores  that  generally  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  boys. 

They  usually  selected  some  beautifully  shaded  bend 
in  the  river,  a  few  days  before  they  started,  where  they 
knew  big  game  and  fish  were  abundant,  intending  to 
hunt  and  trap  during  their  stay. 

One  lovely  morning  in  June,  1867,  just  as  the  sun 
was  gilding  the  bluffs  above  their  dugout,  they  saddled 
their  favorite  ponies,  and  after  confining  all  but  two  of 
the  hounds,  started  on  their  journey. 

They  carried  a  small  supply  of  flour,  salt,  coffee, 
sugar,  and  a  few  other  necessaries, —  a  frying-pan,  a 
kettle,  and  knives  and  forks;  intending  to  depend 
upon  their  own  prowess  in  providing  for  the  larder 
during  the  trip. 

(31) 


82  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

Their  beds,  of  course,  were  simply  buffalo-robes, 
which  with  their  other  equipage  was  packed  011  a 
loose  pony  they  drove  before  them. 

They  arrived  at  the  appointed  place  long  before 
noon,  as  it  was  only  about  ten  miles  up  the  Walnut 
from  their  home. 

It  was  a  charming  spot:  the  river  made  a  sudden 
sweep  to  the  south  in  a  most  symmetrical  curve, 
while  the  beach  was  perfectly  level,  composed  of  clean 
sand,  but  colored  brown  with  the  stain  of  iron  with 
which  it  was  impregnated.  A  few  feet  above,  on  the 
bank  of  the  stream  proper,  were  great  groups  of 
gnarled  old  cotton  woods,  that  must  have  withstood 
the  wintry  blasts  of  a  century,  their  huge  limbs  reach- 
ing out  far  over  the  water,  affording  a  most  grateful 
shade. 

At  the  foot  of  one  of  the  largest  of  the  trees,  Pierre 
and  Carlos  pitched  their  camp.  They  needed  no  other 
shelter  than  the  closely  involved  foliage,  as  it  rarely 
rains  in  that  region,  excepting  in  the  early  spring  or 
late  fall. 

After  taking  off  the  saddles,  bridles  and  the  load 
from  the  pack-pony,  they  picketed  out  their  animals, 
which  in  a  few  moments  were  feeding  knee-deep  in  the 
nutritious  bunch-grass1  growing  so  luxuriantly  all 
around  them. 

Their  beds  for  the  present  were  thrown  carelessly  on 
the  ground,  while  preparations  for  dinner  were  imme- 

1  Bunch-graes,  a  peculiar  variety  of  prairie-grass  which  grows  in  tufts,  or 
bunches;  hence  the  name.  It  is  sometimes  as  tall  as  a  horse's  head. 


BLUE-WINGED    TEAL  83 

dicately  begun,  as  the  boys,  like  their  animals,  were 
ravenously  hungry,  after  their  ride. 

While  Carl  busied  himself  in  cutting  two  sticks  with 
forks  in  the  ends,  in  which  a  pole  was  to  be  laid  to  hold 
the  kettle,  and  gathered  a  lot  of  the  dead  driftwood  to 
make  a  fire,  Pierre  shouldered  his  rifle  and  wandered 
off  in  search  of  meat. 

By  the  time  that  Carlos  had  all  his  preparations 
completed,  the  fire  briskly  burning  and  the  water 
sputtering  in  the  kettle  for  the  coffee,  Pierre  returned, 
having  succeeded  in  killing  a  couple  of  Blue-winged 
Teal  which  he  discovered  swimming  in  an  eddy  under 
the  edge  of  the  bank  half  a  mile  from  camp.  He  had 
crawled  upon  them,  and  waited  with  finger  on  the 
trigger  until  the  birds  got  into  line,  when  he  pulled, 
and  took  off  both  their  heads.  In  another  instant  he 
was  in  the  water  and  out  again,  hurrying  toward  camp 
with  his  game. 

While  they  were  pulling  the  feathers  off  the  birds, 
they  commenced  to  talk  together  about  the  habits  of 
the  beautifully  colored  creatures  which  were  sacrificed 
to  the  demands  of  their  stomachs. 

"  Do  you  know,  Carl,"  said  Pierre  to  his  brother,  as 
he  plucked  the  rich  plumage  from  the  wings  of  the 
bird  he  was  dressing,  "that  in  all  my  experience  in 
hunting,  these  little  fellows  with  their  handsome  blue 
wings,  fly  awfully  swift,  and  when  they  are  under  full 
headway  it  takes  a  mighty  quick  eye  and  a  snap-shot 
to  bring  one  down  ?  ' ' 


84  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

"Yes,"  replied  Carlos,  "I  know  that  they  are  the 
hardest  birds  for  me  to  get.  I  can  hit  them  easily 
enough  when  they  are  swimming,  but  on  the  wing 
I  often  miss  them.  And  you  know,  when  they  are 
going  to  light,  how  carefully  they  sail  about  to  see 
whether  there  is  anything  around  to  scare  them ;  but 
the  moment  they  are  down  in  the  water  or  on  the 
ground  they  seem  to  forget  all  about  enemies,  and 
crowd  so  closely  together  while  feeding  that  you  can 
get  half  a  dozen  at  a  single  shot  sometimes." 

"Did  you  ever  see  their  nests,  Carl?"  inquired 
Pierre. 

"Oh,  yes,"  answered  his  brother,  "I  have  found 
many  of  them ;  they  are  built  on  the  ground  in  the 
coarse  grass,  or  the  reeds  and  rushes  which  grow  along 
the  edge  of  the  sloughs1  out  011  the  prairie.  They  line 
their  nests  inside  with  down,  which  I  suppose  they 
pluck  from  their  own  breasts,  and  they  lay  from  eight 
to  twelve  eggs  —  at  least  I  have  found  as  many,  often. 
Don't  you  remember  that  set  in  the  museum  ?  It  has 
a  dozen  eggs  in  it,  that  I  found  up  the  river  last  sum- 
mer." 

"Yes,"  answered  Pierre;  "and  another  good  thing 
about  them  is  that  they  don't  leave  until  late  in  the 
fall,  and  I  think  they  are  the  best  birds  to  eat  that  we 
have  here,  not  even  excepting  the  quail." 

'Well,"  said  Carl,  "we  shall  soon  know  how  these 

''Slough  (pronounced  slew),  a  low,  wet  or  muddy  place;  generally  a  ravine 
into  which  water  has  drained.  Sometimes  they  are  very  deep,  and  are  difficult 

t'l    (Til  —  . 


BLUE-WINGED    TEAL  35 

taste;  the  water  is  boiling,  and  I've  made  the  coffee. 
I  'm  going  to  stew  them ;  I  brought  along  some  onions 
from  the  garden,  and  it  won't  take  more  than  twenty 
minutes  to  cook  them,  if  I  cut  them  up  into  small 
pieces.  So  if  you  '11  mix  the  slapjacks,  then  water 
the  ponies,  by  the  time  you  get  back  from  the  river 
dinner  will  be  ready." 

Pierre  jumped  up,  went  after  the  three  ponies,  say- 
ing as  he  started,  "  I  '11  mix  the  slapjacks  as  soon  as  I 
come  back — it  won't  take  a  minute." 

While  he  was  busy  leading  the  animals  down  to  the 
river,  Carlos  put  the  teal  into  the  pot,  salted  them, 
threw  in  a  few  onions  to  flavor  them,  and  in  ten  sec- 
onds more  the  birds  were  sizzling  and  sputtering,  and 
sent  out  a  most  appetizing  odor  to  his  hungry  stomach. 

In  twenty  minutes  Pierre  returned  with  the  ponies, 
and  picketing  them  out  on  a  fresh  spot,  came  to  the 
fire  and  got  the  slapjacks  ready  for  frying  in  a  jiffy. 

They  were  cooked  in  a  long-handled  frying-pan ;  and 
when  one  side  of  a  cake  was  done  it  was  tossed  into 
the  air,  turning  upon  the  other  side  as  it  came  down. 
It  was  quite  an  art  to  toss  them  properly,  but  both 
of  the  boys  were  adepts  at  camp-life,  and  Pierre  did 
not  drop  one  on  the  ground. 

By  the  time  he  had  cooked  a  tin  plate  heaping  full, 
Carlos  took  off  the  stew,  and  in  a  few  minutes  it  rap- 
idly disappeared,  together  with  a  liberal  allowance  of 
the  slapjacks  and  black  coffee.  The  dogs  were  lying 
near  by,  wistfully  eyeing  each  mouthful  as  their  mas- 


36  THE    DELAHQYDEB 

ters  devoured  their  dinner,  with  which  the  boys  soon 
made  sad  havoc. 

There  was  nothing  left  for  the  half-famished  dogs, 
excepting  a  handful  of  cleanly  picked  bones ;  so  Pierre 
said:  "Carl,  we  've  got  to  go  and  hunt  something  for 
the  hounds  to  eat,  for  they  are  terribly  hungry,  I  know. 
I  guess  we  can  soon  find  a  jack  or  two  or  a  cottontail  for 
'em  out  on  the  prairie." 

"All  right,"  said  Carlos;  "I'll  be  ready  in  a  mo- 
ment, as  soon  as  I  put  out  the  fire." 

That  accomplished,  so  as  to  leave  no  embers  that 
might  burn  anything  while  absent,  both  the  boys  took 
their  rifles  and  sauntered  out  on  the  open  prairie  be- 
yond the  woods,  the  dogs  following  them,  well  know- 
ing that  it  was  for  their  benefit  their  masters  were 
going  hunting. 

They  had  not  proceeded  more  than  a  mile  from  camp 
when  Cyrus  flushed1  a  big  jack,  and  both  dogs  took 
.after  him,  but  Pierre  said,  "You  needn't  run,  you 
tired  fellows;  "  and  as  he  spoke,  he  raised  his  rifle  and 
killed  the  animal  before  it  had  gotten  twenty  yards 
from  where  the  hound  had  started  it. 

The  jack  that  Pierre  shot  was  an  immense  fellow, 
enough  for  two  meals  to  each  of  the  hounds;  and  as 
the  boys  fed  their  dogs  only  twice  a  day,  there  was 
sufficient  food  to  last  Cyrus  and  Jupe  until  the  next 
evening,  and  before  that  time  arrived  the  young  camp- 

1  Flushed,  a  sportsman's  term,  meaning  any  animal  or  bird  suddenly  started, 
or  "flushed." 


CARLOS    GOES    FISHING  37 

ers  expected  to  kill  an  antelope,  deer,  or  perhaps  even 
a  buffalo. 

As  soon  as  the  meat  was  secured  for  the  hounds, 
Pierre  and  Carl,  closely  followed  by  the  hungry  dogs, 
returned  to  their  camp,  and  upon  reaching  the  big  tree 
under  which  they  purposed  to  sleep,  the  hare  was  chop- 
ped into  four  pieces,  two  of  which  were  given  to  Cyrus 
and  Jupe,  who  did  their  own  skinning,  and  soon  got 
themselves  outside  of  their  share  of  the  hare.  The  re- 
maining portions,  which  were  to  serve  for  their  break- 
fast next  morning,  were  suspended  to  a  limb  of  the  big 
tree,  so  as  to  be  out  of  reach  of  the  dogs. 

The  boys  then  sat  down  on  the  river-bank  and  dis- 
cussed the  probabilities  of  what  their  supper  would  be. 

"What  do  you  say  about  going  fishing,  and  getting 
a  young  cat  for  supper?"  said  Carlos  to  Pierre,  as 
he  thought  of  their  absolutely  empty  larder,  so  far  as 
any  meat  was  concerned. 

"Well,  we  have  got  to  get  something,  Carl,"  re- 
plied Pierre  to  his  brother's  interrogatory;  "but  I 
don't  see  any  use  of  both  of  us  going  fishing.  If  we 
catch  more  than  we  can  eat  for  supper,  they  won't 
keep  in  this  hot  weather  until,  morning ;  so  suppose 
you  take  a  line  and  try  your  luck,  and  I  '11  go  out  after 
some  bigger  game  ?  " 

"All  right,  Pierre,"  responded  Carlos;  "but  leave 
one  of  the  hounds  with  me  in  case  any  wolves  come 
around  while  you  are  gone,  and  you  take  the  other; 
you  would  better  take  Cyrus  with  you,  and  I  '11  keep 


38  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

Jupe,  as  he  is  not  so  good  as  Cyrus  at  hunting,  but  can 
fight  off  a  wolf  just  as  well." 

"Well,  let's  do  it,"  said  Pierre;  "you  can  take  a 
piece  of  the  hare  for  bait;  cat  will  bite  at  it,  if  they 
bite  at  anything, —  but  they  are  a  miserably  slow  fish 
to  bite  at  all ;  they  aren't  a  bit  game  like  a  trout,  or  a 
perch.  They  will  sometimes  look  at  the  bait  half  an 
hour  before  attempting  to  touch  it;  and  then  again 
they  will  not  notice  it  although  it  hangs  right  before 
their  noses." 

"I  may  catch  some  perch,"  said  Carlos;  "they're 
better  than  cat  anyhow,  only  they  are  small,  and 
you  've  got  to  get  so  many  more  to  make  a  meal,  while 
a  decent-sized  cat  is  enough  for  five  or  six  men." 

It  was  now  about  three  o'clock,  as  the  boys  guessed, 
looking  up  at  the  sun,  their  only  timepiece;  but  they 
could  usually  come  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour  of  the 
real  time,  so  dependent  had  they  become  upon  nature 
in  their  wild  surroundings .  They  had  sufficiently  rested , 
and  while  Carlos  was  getting  his  tackle  ready,  Pierre 
took  his  rifle,  whistled  to  Cyrus,  and  started  for  the 
open  prairie,  where  he  had  shot  the  hare  a  couple  of 
hours  before. 

It  took  Carlos  about  half  an  hour  to  get  his  line  in 
readiness,  his  bait  cut  up,  and  take  a  look  at  the  ponies 
to  see  if  they  were  all  right,  before  he  started  for  the 
river,  intending  to  fish  in  the  eddy  where  Pierre  had 
shot  the  teal. 

Arriving  there  in  a  short  time,  he  seated  himself  on 


ADVENTURE   WITH   A  BEAR  39 

the  edge  of  the  bank,  while  Jupe  stretched  out  in  the 
shade  of  the  overhanging  limbs  of  the  trees  not  far 
from  his  master. 

Absolute  silence  reigned ;  not  even  the  droning  of  a 
bee  could  be  heard,  and  there  was  not  a  breath  of  wind 
to  rustle  the  leaves  in  the  treetops.  The  dog  was  sound 
asleep,  and  Carlos,  with  line  in  the  sluggish  water  of  the 
eddy,  was  patiently  waiting  for  a  nibble.  At  last  it 
came,  and  he  hauled  up  a  medium-sized  perch,  strung 
it  on  a  willow  wand,  cast  in  again,  and  was  soon  re- 
warded with  another.  Thus  he  continued  until  he  had 
caught  half  a  dozen, —  but  not  a  single  cat :  they  would 
not  bite,  although,  boy-like,  he  successively  spat  on  his 
bait,  according  to  the  superstitions  of  youth  while  an- 
gling- 
More  than  two  hours  were  thus  whiled  away  by  the 
patient  Carlos,  and  it  was  now  fully  five  o'clock,  he 
thought,  as  he  looked  up  at  the  sun,  which  was  half- 
way between  the  zenith  and  the  western  horizon.  The 
slow  progress  of  his  fishing  was  growing  rather  monot- 
onous, and  he  was  just  thinking  he  would  return  to 
camp  and  await  the  return  of  Pierre,  whom  he  hoped 
had  been  luckier  than  he  in  getting  something  for  sup- 
per and  breakfast,  when  his  ears  were  suddenly  greeted 
by  a  low  growl,  and  the  rushing  of  Jupe  toward  him. 
He  looked  around,  and  to  his  dismay  saw  not  twenty 
feet  from  him  a  black  she-bear,  with  two  half-grown 
cubs  by  her  side.  She  had  evidently  come  down  to  the 
water  to  drink,  and  had  not  observed  either  Carlos  or 


40  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

the  dog  (the  latter  having  remained  quietly  sleeping 
all  the  time  while  Carlos  was  angling)  until  she  emerged 
from  the  underbrush  that  grew  to  the  edge  of  the  bank. 

The  creature  was  immediately  seized  with  powerful 
maternal  instinct  for  the  safety  of  her  little  ones,  ajid 
made  a  savage  dash  for  Jupe.  The  moment  he  smelt 
her,  his  fur  all  bristling  with  battle,  he  incontinently 
made  a  rush  for  her,  but  she  sent  him  sprawling  over 
and  over  on  the  sandy  beach  by  one  stroke  of  her  dread- 
ful paw,  and  then  with  mouth  wide  open,  and  jaws 
frothing  with  rage,  made  a  break  for  Carlos,  who  was 
now  on  his  feet,  realizing  the  danger  which  confronted 
him. 

Carlos  had  very  foolishly  left  his  rifle  in  camp,  and 
had  nothing  to  defend  himself  with  but  his  pocket- 
knife,  which  he  had  already  opened,  however,  resolved 
to  do  his  best  in  the  conflict  which  he  believed  inev- 
itable. 

Jupe  had  by  this  time  recovered  from  the  shock  of 
his  sudden  tumble,  fortunately  unhurt,  and  gallantly 
came  dashing  on  to  the  rescue  of  his  master ;  but  be- 
fore he  reached  the  ferocious  animal,  it  rolled  over 
dead,  as  the  report  of  a  rifle  resounded  through  the 
woods. 

It  was  his  brother  Pierre's  unerring  aim,  that  had 
sent  a  ball  into  the  brain  of  the  ferocious  beast  just  in 
the  nick  of  time  1 

He  explained  to  Carlos,  after  the  momentary  excite^ 
ment  was  over,  that  having  failed  to  see  any  game 


PIERRE    KILLS    A   CUB  41 

while  out,  he  had  returned  to  camp,  and  not  find- 
ing him  there,  concluded  that  he  was  still  fishing  at 
the  eddy,  and  immediately  walked  down,  happily  soon 
enough  to  prevent  what  might  have  been  a  serious 
matter. 

Carlos  showed  Pierre  the  very  small  string  of  fish  he 
had  caught,  and  both  concluded  that  the  prospects  for 
supper  and  breakfast,  if  it  had  to  depend  on  these, 
were  poor  indeed;  so  they  turned  to  the'  dead  bear, 
but  discovered  she  was  so  thin  and  bony  that  she  was 
not  fit  to  eat. 

They  then  looked  for  the  cubs,  only  one  of  which 
was  visible,  the  other  having  made  off  in  the  brush 
upon  the  report  of  the  shot  that  had  killed  its  mother. 
The  other  cub  stood  within  easy  rifle-range,  bewilder- 
ingly  gazing  at  the  boys,  when  Pierre  by  a  well-directed 
ball  killed  it  in  its  tracks. 

It  was  very  fat,  luckily.  Then  both  Pierre  and  Carl 
laughed  with  each  other  over  the  whole  affair  in  rela- 
tion to  the  visit  of  the  bear,  now  that  it  had  turned 
out  without  any  harm  to  them  or  Jupe,  and  with  the 
more  pleasant  prospect  of  plenty  of  meat  for  some  time. 

The  cub  weighed  about  seventy-five  pounds — too 
great  a  load  for  the  boys  to  carry;  so  Pierre  said  he 
would  go  back  to  camp  and  get  the  pack-pony,  and 
that  Carlos  could  remain  and  watch  the  dead  cub,  for 
if  both  went  away  the  wolves  would  be  sure  to  scent 
it,  and  by  the  time  they  returned  to  the  river  there 
would  be  no  bear-meat  to  pack. 


42  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

Pierre  started  on  a  rapid  walk  back  to  camp,  leaving 
his  rifle  with  Carlos,  and  half  a  dozen  cartridges,  should 
an  emergency  arise  for  their  use. 

It  was  fortunate  that  Pierre  had  the  forethought  to 
leave  the  rifle  with  his  brother,  for  he  had  not  been 
gone  ten  minutes  before  Carlos  noticed  the  head  of  a 
gray  prairie-wolf,  popping  up  over  a  little  ridge  a  few 
feet  from  where  he  was  standing.  Jupe  saw  it  at  the 
same  instant,  and  made  a  rush  for  the  intruder,  which, 
the  moment  he  saw  the  dog,  tucked  his  bushy  tail  be- 
tween his  legs  and  scooted  off. 

Carlos  called  Jupe  back,  for  he  knew  the  cowardly 
wolf  would  lead  him  a  wild-goose  chase  for  more  than 
a  mile,  and  the  dog  would  only  get  tired  out  for  his 
pains.  Besides,  Carlos  felt  sure  that  the  wolf  he  saw 
was  not  the  only  one  in  the  viqigity,  and  he  might  have 
all  he  could  do  with  both  his  rifle  and  Jupe,  before 
Pierre  returned. 

The  boy  was  right  in  his  conjecture,  for  by  the  time 
that  Jupe  came  up  to  him  at  his  call,  the  deep  snarl- 
ing and  growling  of  at  least  half  a  dozen  of  the  impu- 
dent creatures  could  be  heard,  not  far  off  in  the 
brush. 

Carlos  had  no  fear  of  them  so  long  as  it  was  day- 
light and  he  had  his  dog  and  rifle,  for  they  are  most 
cowardly  brutes,  but  at  night  are  more  bold  and  in- 
cautious. They  seem  to  possess  the  most  acute  smell, 
and  are  attracted  by  the  odor  of  a  dead  animal  at  most 
astounding  distances;  as  the  boys'  father  once  told 


WHAT   BECAME    OF   THE   CUB  48 

them,  he  believed  that  a  wolf  thinks  it  no  uncommon 
thing  to  travel  a  hundred  miles  for  his  breakfast. 

Although  the  continuous  snarling  of  the  wolves  ex- 
cited Jupe's  combativeness,  and  Carlos  with  great  dif- 
ficulty restrained  him  from  rushing  into  the  brush  after 
them,  not  another  ventured  to  make  himself  visible. 

In  an  hour  Pierre  appeared,  leading  the  pack-pony, 
and  carrying  Carlos's  rifle.  Pierre  reported  everything 
all  safe  at  the  camp,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  cub  was 
securely  fastened  on  the  back  of  the  pack-pony,  and  all 
started  for  the  temporary  home  under  the  big  cotton- 
wood. 

It  was  nearly  dark  when  the  camp  was  reached,  and 
the  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  water  the  ponies  and 
change  them  to  a  new  grazing-spot.  That  was  accom- 
plished in  a  few  minutes;  then  the  bear  was  skinned, 
its  viscera  taken  out  and  given  to  the  dogs,  which  gorged 
themselves  on  the  unexpected  meal,  after  which  they 
stretched  out  on  the  grass  and  were  soon  slumbering 
soundly. 

The  cub's  carcass  was  then  hung  to  the  limb  of  a 
tree,  and  while  Pierre  was  attending  to  the  animal's 
glossy  hide,  which  he  intended  to  make  into  a  mat  for 
his  parents'  bedroom,  Carlos  built  a  fire,  started  the 
kettle  to  boiling,  and  then  cut  off  slices  of  the  choicest 
portions  of  the  bear.  While  the  coffee  was  settling, 
and  the  meat  nicely  frying  in  its  own  fat,  he  mixed 
another  batch  of  slapjacks,  and  by  the  time  that  his 
brother  had  scraped  the  cub's  hide,  stretched  it  out  be- 


44  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

tween  two  saplings  and  salted  it,  Carlos  announced 
supper,  of  which  the  boys  partook  with  great  relish  by 
the  light  of  the  campfire,  as  it  was  now  dark  and  there 
was  no  moon. 

The  moment  their  meal  was  disposed  of,  the  broth- 
ers prepared  for  bed ;  for  they  had  always  been  in  the 
habit  of  retiring  early,  and  rising  at  an  early  hour, — 
before  sunrise,  in  fact,  the  most  delightful  portion  of 
the  day,  especially  in  summer-time. 

Their  beds  were  easily  made :  three  buffalo  robes  were 
spread  upon  the  ground,  their  saddles  utilized  as  pil- 
lows, with  a  robe  thrown  over  them,  and  another  robe 
placed  at  their  feet,  to  be  used  as  a  covering  should  it 
grow  cool  toward  morning. 

The  boys  took  off  only  their  moccasins  and  coats,  and 
placing  their  rifles  alongside,  were  soon  snugly  at  rest; 
the  dogs,  when  not  prowling  around  within  a  short 
radius,  lying  at  their  masters'  feet,  ready  to  defend 
them  at  the  instant  of  danger. 

Very  shortly  after  the  boys  retired  to  rest,  the  usual 
nocturnal l  sounds  peculiar  to  that  wild  region  com- 
menced, but  which  were  a  lullaby  to  their  ears,  for  they 
had  been  soothed  to  sleep  by  them  in  their  room  in  the 
dugout  ever  since  they  had  lived  on  the  Walnut. 

The  first  of  these  familiar  voices  of  the  night  was 
the  Screech-owl,  which  utters  a  plaintive  note,  and 
then  changes  into  a  peculiar  rattling  sound,  like  the 

'tfocfurna,  night;  hence,  those  animals  or  birds  which  make  their  appear- 
ance and  hunt  their  prey  at  that  time  are  nocturnal  In  their  habits. 


SOUNDS    OF    THE    NIGHT  45 

chattering  of  teeth.  It  keeps  up  its  alternating  whoop- 
ing and  moaning  during  the  hours  between  sundown 
and  the  appearance  of  the  initial  rosy  tints  on  the  east- 
ern horizon,  betokening  the  coming  morning.  Partic- 
ularly does  it  love  the  moonlight,  when  it  will  perch 
upon  the  top  of  some  blasted  tree.  On  moonless  nights 
it  is  not  so  vociferous ;  but  it  is  never  entirely  silent. 

It  inhabits  alike  the  woods  and  the  abodes  of  man  in 
the  thickly  settled  States.  It  lives  on  mice,  small  birds, 
and  insects ;  it  makes  scarcely  any  noise  while  on  the 
wing  in  search  of  its  prey,  upon  which  it  pounces  with 
the  swiftness  of  an  arrow.  It  makes  its  nest  in  holes 
in  forest  trees,  and  frequently  in  buildings  in  civilized 
communities.  The  nests  are  sparingly  lined  with  grass, 
leaves,  or  feathers.  The  eggs  are  pure  white,  and  usu- 
ally from  four  to  six  are  found  in  one  nest.  In  the 
boys'  museum  in  the  dugout  they  had  six  in  their  col- 
lection, which  Carlos  found  one  day  in  the  hollow  of  a 
dead  cottonwood  on  the  bank  of  the  Walnut. 

As  soon  as  it  was  fairly  dark,  the  bird,  known  as 
"Poor-will,"  in  contradistinction  to  the  Whip-poor- 
will,  of  the  East,  began  its  wailing  song  of  "  poor-will, 
poor- will."  It  repeats  it  almost  continuously  at  night 
during  the  breeding  season.  They  love  rocky,  bluffy 
places,  where  they  lay  their  eggs,  only  two  in  number, 
on  the  bare  ground,  but  generally  at  the  roots  of  a 
bunch  of  grass,  weeds,  or  the  low  plum-bushes  on  the 
prairie.  They  do  not  line  their  nests  with  any  soft 
material.  The  eggs,  like  those  of  the  screech-owl,  are 


46  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

pure  white.  The  birds  arrive  late  in  April,  begin  lay- 
ing the  last  of  May,  and  depart  in  September. 

The  lynxes  were  peculiarly  noisy  that  night  the  boys 
first  camped  out  on  the  trip ;  they  kept  up  an  almost 
continuous  mewing,  and  were  probably  attracted  by 
the  carcass  of  the  cub  hung  up  in  one  of  the  trees, 
but  were  afraid  to  approach  it  because  of  the  presence 
of  Cyrus  and  Jupe,  whose  special  antipathy  was  a  lynx, 
and  who,  when  that  animal  commenced  to  mew,  after 
Carl  and  Pierre  had  gone  to  sleep,  were  extraordinarily 
vigilant,  prowling  nearly  all  night  around  the  tree, 
from  the  limb  of  which  the  young  bear  was  sus- 
pended. 

The  boys  slept  splendidly,  feeling  perfectly  secure 
with  such  admirable  sentinels  as  Cyrus  and  Jupe,  and 
at  the  first  streak  of  dawn  were  out  of  their  buffalo- 
robes,  and  down  to  the  warm  sandy  beach  of  the  Wal- 
nut to  indulge  in  a  bath. 

They  splashed  around  in  the  water,  ducking  and 
dodging  each  other  in  their  brotherly  sport,  for  at 
least  fifteen  minutes,  then  drying  themselves  in  the 
first  beams  of  the  morning  sun  as  its  rays  glinted  on 
the  beach,  they  dressed.  Their  initial  duty  of  the 
day  was  the  care  of  the  ponies,  but  it  was  not  an  ar- 
duous task ;  all  required  was  to  lead  them  down  to  the 
river  to  drink,  and  re-picket  them  on  a  fresh  spot  of 
grass.  The  ponies'  demands  disposed  of,  the  remainder 
of  the  hare  that  Pierre  had  shot  the  afternoon  before 
was  divided  between  Cyrus  and  Jupe,  and  then  Pierre, 


CARLOS  SHOOTS  A  WILD  TURKEY          47 

acting  the  role  of  cook,  began  to  prepare  the  morning 
meal ;  while  Carlos,  taking  his  rifle,  and  his  own  dog 
Jupe,  who  had  already  devoured  his  portion  of  the 
hare,  sauntered  up  the  bank  of  the  stream  to  try  his 
luck  in  providing  meat  for  the  larder. 

He  was  gone  but  a  short  time,  as  it  did  not  require 
more  than  half  an  hour  for  Pierre  to  get  the  usual 
breakfast  ready,  which  consisted  of  black  coffee,  slap- 
jacks, and  broiled  bear-steaks;  but  instead  of  cooking 
the  steaks  in  the  frying-pan,  he  stuck  them  on  peeled 
willow-twigs,  the  ends  of  which  he  put  in  the  ground 
before  the  glowing  embers  of  the  campfire,  and  in  a 
few  moments  they  were  done  to  a  turn  that  would  have 
satisfied  the  taste  of  the  most  epicurean  gourmand.1 

Carlos  had  bagged  a  young,  wild-turkey  gobbler, 
which  the  boys  proposed  to  roast  in  old  trapper  fash- 
ion for  their  supper,  as  it  would  not  be  done  by  dinner- 
time by  the  treatment  to  which  it  was  to  be  subjected. 
So,  breakfast  (which  both  the  boys  enjoyed  immensely) 
out  of  the  way,  preparations  were  commenced  to  roast 
the  beautiful  bird  which  Carl  had  shot  on  his  trip  up 
the  river. 

A  hole  was  first  dug  into  the  ground  about  two  feet 
in  diameter,  and  a  foot  and  a  half  deep.  In  this  was 
kindled  a  fire,  and  kept  up  for  more  than  an  hour,  until 
the  sides  and  bottom  of  the  excavation  were  baked  al- 
most as  hard  as  earthenware.  Then  the  coals  were 
scraped  out,  the  turkey  put  in,  just  as  he  was  killed, 

1  "Epicurean  gourmand,"  a  lover  of  good  food  :  to  such  an  extent  that  he  is  a 
glutton. 


48  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

feathers  and  all,  after  he  had  first  been  coated  all  over 
«vith  mud.  Then  over  the  hole  were  placed  a  few  sticks, 
sufficiently  strong  to  bear  up  a  covering  of  earth,  on  top 
of  which  the  live  coals  were  heaped,  and  replenished 
from  time  to  time  with  freshly  added  fuel.  Thus  the 
3ird  was  in  a  hot,  hermetically  sealed  oven ;  hot  enough 
to  roast  it  better  than  can  possibly  be  done  in  the  most 
improved  stove.  It  had  to  remain  there  many  hours, 
to  guarantee  it  being  done  when  taken  out.  So,  as  the 
boys  could  not  leave  camp  that  day,  at  least  until  their 
turkey  was  cooked,  which  would  not  be  before  four 
o'clock,  they  sat  by  their  watch-fire  and  discussed  their 
favorite  theme,  natural  history. 

Both  Carlos  and  Pierre  were  especially  great  lovers 
of  birds,  and  made  a  study  of  the  many  species  whose 
habitat  was  in  the  region  where  the  dugout  was  located, 
as  well  as  those  which  were  purely  migratory,1  passing 
only  a  portion  of  their  time  in  the  vicinity  during 
each  recurring  season,  where  they  made  their  nests  and 
reared  their  little  ones.  In  the  early  fall  these  de- 
parted southward,  to  return  at  a  certain  time  the  next 
spring,  either  in  flocks,  singly,  or  in  pairs,  as  their  in- 
stincts dictated. 

Of  course  the  boys  had  no  knowledge  of  the  scientific 
names  of  the  birds  with  whose  habits  they  were  so  per- 
fectly familiar,  specimens  of  which  they  sometimes 
themselves  shot  or  trapped,  and  mounted,  under  the 

1  Migratory,  a  term  applied  to  animals  or  birds,  especially  birds,  which  reside 
in  their  ordinary  home  during  only  a  portion  of  the  year,  migrating  to  other  parts 
at  certain  seasons,  where  the  temperature  of  the  air  and  the  surroundings  are 
suited  to  their  habits. 


THEIR    KNOWLEDGE    OF    BIRDS  49 

of  their  father,  who  was  an  expert  taxider- 
mist, he  having  learned  the  art  during  his  college 
course. 

Pierre  and  Carlos  knew  only  the  common  names  of 
the  feathered  beauties  which  congregated  in  such  an 
almost  endless  variety  in  the  woods  bordering  the  Wal- 
nut, on  the  open  prairies  contiguous  thereto,  or  swam 
in  the  quiet  waters  of  the  main  stream  or  its  tribu- 
taries. 

Notwithstanding  their  lack  of  purely  technical 
knowledge  in  these  particulars,  it  is  doubtful  whether 
the  most  accomplished  ornithologist  could  have  taught 
the  boys  anything  of  the  habits  of  the  birds  with  which 
they  were  so  familiar;  their  method  of  nest-building; 
the  color  and  number  of  eggs  which  were  laid  by  the 
different  species ;,  and  the  notes  to  which  they  gave  ut- 
terance. 

Of  the  swimming  birds  which  frequented  the  waters 
of  the  Arkansas,  Canadian,  and  Walnut,  there  were 
many  varieties.  The  Ring-billed  Gull  was  the  most 
common,  generally  arriving  during  April  and  May, 
and  remaining  until  September.  They  are  as  perfectly 
at  home  on  the  wing  as  in  the  water.  They  seemed  to 
come  so  far  inland,  to  feed  upon  the  grasshoppers  or 
red-winged  locusts  which  abounded  in  such  innumera- 
ble clouds  on  the  Central  Plains  twenty  or  thirty  years 
ago.  The  boys  arrived  at  this  conclusion,  from  the 
fact  that  of  the  hundreds  they  had  killed,  the  crops  of 
all  were  filled  with  those  insects.  They  did  not  breed 

-4 


50  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

in  the  region  of  the  boys'  home,  but  far  away  on  the 
southern  seacoast ;  so  that  although  Carlos  and  Pierre 
had  several  finely  mounted  specimens,  neither  nest  nor 
eggs  were  obtainable. 

The  White  Pelican  was  a  common  visitor,  coming 
with  the  early  spring  and  departing  early  in  the  fall. 

The  boys  were  particularly  fond  of  watching  those 
large  birds.  They  admired  them  for  their  sociability 
among  themselves,  and  their  peaceful  nature, — hardly 
ever  quarreling,  as  do  nearly  all  the  feathered  tribe. 
It  was  a  rare  thing  to  find  a  pelican  alone ;  they  soared 
in  large  numbers  at  great  heights ;  for  hours  Carlos  and 
Pierre  often  studied  them,  as  they  performed  their 
strange  evolutions  in  mid-air. 

The  pelicans  live  principally  upon  fish,  and  have  a 
regular  method  in  their  angling.  They  get  together 
and  drive  the  fish  into  shallow  water  up  the  stream, 
where  they  catch  and  devour  them  at  their  leisure. 

Even  while  Carlos  and  Pierre  were  quietly  seated  on 
the  ground,  carefully  attending  to  the  fire,  which  they 
knew  must  not  be  permitted  to  slacken,  or  their  tur- 
key would  not  be  ready  when  evening  came  on,  a 
slight  rushing  of  wings  was  heard,  and  both  boys  glanc- 
ing at  the  smooth  surface  of  the  river,  flowing  only  a 
short  distance  away,  saw  a  flock  of  ducks  settle  on  its 
bosom. 

"Those  are  Pintails,"  said  Pierre,  as  he  threw  a 
handful  of  dry  twigs  on  the  fire,  "and  they  are  al- 
ways the  very  first  of  the  ducks  to  come  in  the  spring." 


THEIR   KNOWLEDGE    OF   BIRDS  51 

"Yes,"  said  Carlos;  "and  they  eat  a  greater  variety 
of  things  than  any  other  species,  so  far  as  I  have 
studied  them, —  seeds,  roots,  worms,  snails,  and  even 
acorns;  for  I  have  found  all  of  them  in  their  crops." 

"See  how  funny  they  act,  Carlos,"  said  Pierre,  as 
he  saw  the  flock  with  their  bodies  tipped  over,  and 
working  their  feet  in  the  air. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Carlos,  "  they  seem  to  stand  on  their 
heads;  that's  because  they  don't  really  dive,  but  keep 
their  bills  under  the  water,  searching  for  food." 

"Just  look  at  them,  Pierre!  Now  they  have  turned 
over  and  are  swimming  again.  How  gracefully  they 
sail  around!  There  they  go;  something  scared  them, 
—  and  how  fast  they  can  fly !  " 

"Their  eggs  are  handsome,  too,"  .said  Pierre,  as  he 
watched  the  flock  rush  off,  their  wings  making  a  whir- 
ring noise,  so  rapidly  did  they  beat  them  against  the 
air. 

"Yes,"  said  Carlos,  "but  their  eggs  are  not  always 
of  the  same  color.  I  have  found  them  from  pale  green 
to  yellow,  or  rather,  the  same  shade  as  the  egg  of  a 
Plymouth  Rock  hen." 

"They  don't  seem  very  particular  about  their  nests, 
either,"  continued  Pierre;  "you  remember  that  when 
we  spent  a  whole  morning  last  summer,  searching  for 
them  out  in  the  grass  near  the  creek,  we  found  only  a 
sort  of  little  scratched-out  place,  with  a  few  scraps  of 
down  in  them." 

"  They  lay  seven  to  ten  eggs,"  said  Carlos.     "  Don't 


52  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

you  recollect  we  got  a  great  basketful  that  day,  and 
that  both  mother  and  dad  liked  'em  so  much?  " 

At  noon  the  boys  cooked  a  light  dinner,  saving  their 
appetites  for  the  turkey  which  would  be  done  for  their 
supper.  They  fed  Cyrus  and  Jupe  on  a  part  of  one  of 
the  hind  legs  of  the  cub,  took  "  turn  about "  in  caring 
for. the  ponies,  watched  the  many  varieties  of  birds 
which  flew  around  in  the  solitude  where  the  camp  was 
located,  and  idled  away  the  day  in  that  manner,  yet 
really  were  learning  something  all  the  time,  for  noth- 
ing escaped  their  notice. 

At  about  five  o'clock  the  boys  concluded  their  tur- 
key must  be  done.  Carlos  made  coffee,  mixed  up  the 
indispensable  slapjacks,  and  got  all  the  preliminaries 
ready  for  their  evening  meal.  Pierre  hunted  around 
for  a  piece  of  clean  bark,  to  serve  as  a  platter  for  their 
big  bird,  as  a  tin  plate  was  entirely  too  small  to  hold 
it,  and  in  a  short  time,  having  succeeded  in  finding 
just  what  he  wanted,  he  came  back  to  the  camp.  Then 
he  raked  off  the  coals  from  the  improvised  oven, 
scraped  away  the  earth,  took  off  the  sticks  which  held 
it  up,  and  lifted  out  the  turkey,  whose  coating  of  mud 
was  now  baked  hard,  and  with  a  slight  tap  of  a  piece 
of  wood,  struck  the  shell,  and  off  it  flew,  all  the  feath- 
ers sticking  to  it, —  and  there  was  one  of  the  most 
beautifully  white  birds  that  was  ever  cooked.  He  laid 
it  on  the  bark  plate,  and  everything  else  being  ready, 
the  boys  seated  themselves  on  the  ground  and  com- 
menced their  attack  upon  the  turkey. 


EVENING   BY  THE   CAMPFIRE  58 

It  was  so  juicy  and  tender  that  it  fell  to  pieces  under 
the  touch  of  their  knives,  all  the  rich  juices  preserved 
by  the  unique  way  in  which  it  had  been  cooked. 

Its  viscera  were  dried  up  into  a  little  bunch  inside, 
which  was  easily  removed,  and  there  never  was  turkey 
which  tasted  more  delicious  than  that  which  comprised 
the  principal  portion  of  the  boys'  supper  in  that  re- 
mote camp  on  the  Walnut. 

Carlos  and  Pierre  had  limited  themselves  to  such 
a  light  dinner  at  noon,  that  scarcely  more  than  the 
skeleton  of  the  turkey  was  left  when  they  were  through. 
The  remains,  together  with  an  addition  of  cub-meat, 
were  fed  to  Cyrus  and  Jupe ;  and  after  looking  to  the 
needs  of  their  ponies,  they  were  almost  ready  for  bed 
again,  as  it  was  now  dark.  But  having  eaten  so  heart- 
ily, they  were  afraid  to  retire  until  some  time  had  been 
allowed  for  digestion,—  thinking  they  might  be  visited 
by  that  equine  quadruped  known  as  the  "nightmare." 

The  boys  sat  up  around  a  little  campfire,  or  rather  a 
' '  smudge ' '  to  keep  the  mosquitoes  away,  until  more 
than  an  hour  had  passed  beyond  their  usual  bedtime, 
when  they  threw  themselves  on  their  robes  and  were 
soon  sound  asleep. 

Carlos  and  Pierre  were  out  of  their  buffalo-robes  be- 
times in  the  morning,  watered  the  ponies,  ate  break- 
fast, and  fed  the  hounds.  After  putting  out  the  fire, 
they  shouldered  their  rifles,  whistled  to  Cyrus  and 
Jupe,  and  started  off  for  the  open  prairie,  intending 
to  have  a  grand  hunt  for  two  or  three  hours, —  when 


54  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

Carlos  suddenly  stopped,  and  said,  "  Pierre,  what 
noise  is  that?" 

Pierre  listened  for  a  moment,  and  said:  "It  sounds 
like  horses'  hoofs ;  the  ponies  are  not  stampeded ; l  I 
can  see  them  quietly  standing  at  the  end  of  their 
picket-ropes,  but  they  appear  to  notice  something 
strange." 

The  boys  remained  where  they  were,  eagerly  listen- 
ing to  the  approaching  sound  of  hoofs,  which  there  was 
now  no  mistaking;  and  presently  they  saw  their  fa- 
ther, mounted  on  his  favorite  saddle-pony,  coming 
in  sight  as  he  emerged  from  a  dense  box-elder  copse, 
through  which  the  trail  along  the  river-bank  ran. 

As  he  rode  up,  and  after  a  filial  greeting,  Carlos  said 
to  his  father : 

"Dad,"  (the  boys  had  always  called  their  father 
"Dad"  from  infancy,)  "I  hope  nothing  has  gone 
wrong  at  home?" 

"  No,  boys,  everything  is  all  right  at  the  ranch ;  but 
Dick  Curtis,  the  Indian  trader,  arrived  last  night  from 
the  Cheyenne  village  on  the  Washita  river,  away  south 
of  us,  and  has  traveling  with  him  two  young  gentle- 
men from  Boston,  who  have  never  been  out  in  the 
"  Far  West "  before,  and  they  want  to  learn  something 
of  the  wild  life  out  here.  When  I  told  them  about  you 
boys,  last  evening,  nothing  would  do  but  I  must  have 
you  home,  as  they  are  going  to  remain  several  days. 

1  Stampede,  a  Spanish  word  meaning  a  sudden  fright  scaring  a  herd  of  cattle  or 
drove  of  horses  on  the  plains,  and  causing  them  to  run  ;  a  hurried  rush  of  an  army 
or  any  body  of  men  or  animals. 


THE    RETURN    HOME  55 

They  are  nice,  well-educated  young  men,  both  sopho- 
mores of  Harvard  University,  and  nothing  of  the  dude 
about  them.  I  thought  you  would  like  to  meet  them 
and  entertain  them  while  they  stay.  So  I  started  be- 
fore day  this  morning,  hoping  to  reach  here  before  you 
wrent  out  of  camp,  and  it 's  lucky  I  arrived  just  in 
time." 

"All  right,  Dad,"  said  Pierre;  "we  expected  to  re- 
main here  until  day  after  to-morrow,  but  will  go  back 
with  you,  of  course." 

"Have  you  had  any  breakfast,  Dad  ?  "  queried  Car- 
los; to  which  his  father  said  "No." 

"Then,  Pierre,  if  you'll  unsaddle  Dad's  pony  and 
picket  him  out,  I  '11  get  some  coffee  and  bear-meat  for 
him  in  a  jiffy,"  continued  Carlos,  as  he  gathered  up 
some  pieces  of  dry  wood  to  kindle  a  fire. 

By  the  time  Pierre  had  his  father's  pony  picketed 
out,  Carlos  had  the  coffee  boiling, —  for  the  pot  was  not 
yet  cold  from  breakfast, —  some  nice  slices  of  the  cub 
were  broiled  before  the  glowing  embers,  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes Mr.  Delahoyde  was  enjoying  the  substantial  meal 
Carl  had  so  cheerfully  and  willingly  prepared  for  him. 

The  boys  brought  up  their  animals,  packed  up  their 
camp  equipage,  and  it  was  placed  on  the  pony  ;  the 
brothers  saddled  theirs;  their  father's  horse  had  filled 
himself  with  the  rich  grass,  and  after  he  wa-s  brought 
up  to  where  the  others  were  standing,  and  saddled, 
they  all  mounted.  The  boys  whistled  to  their  hounds, 
and  they  started  on  the  trail  for  home,  where  they  ar- 
rived by  ten  o'clock. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE     YOUNG     BOBTONIAN8     MEET     CARLOS     AND    PIERRE. 

DINNER  IN  THE  INDIAN   TRADER'S   CAMP. —  TALK  ABOUT 
WILD    TURKEYS. —  THE     SANDHILL    CRANES    AND    THEIR 

ANTICS. IN    THE    MUSEUM    AT    THE    DUGOUT. THE 

PET  BEAR,  "EPHRAIM." — SUPPER  AL    FRESCO. —  THE 

BIG    SPRING. —  MOLES    AND    THEIR   HABITS. 

AS  Mr.  Delahoyde  and  his  boys  rode  up  to  the 
dugout,  they  saw  Dick  Curtis,  the  Indian  tra- 
der, and  two  young  men  sitting  outside  on  a 
log,  smoking  their  pipes.  They  rose  as  the  ponies 
halted,  and  when  Carlos,  Pierre  and  their  father  had 
dismounted,  Curtis  and  his  friends  walked  up,  and  af- 
ter shaking  hands  with  Mr.  Delahoyde,  Curtis  intro- 
duced Carl  and  Pierre  to  Mr.  Summerfield  and  Mr. 
Burton,  saying,  as  greetings  were  interchanged: 

"Gentlemen,  these  are  the  two  boys  I  have  spoken 
to  you  about,  and  I  think  during  the  four  or  five  days 
we  propose  to  camp  here  they  will  turn  out  to  be  the 
best  guides  and  hunters  you  could  find  in  the  Terri- 
tory." 

"Well,  boys,"  spoke  up  Mr.  Summerfield,  "we  are 
what  you  call  out  here,  '  tenderfeet.'  Have  never  been 
West  before,  but  want  to  learn  something  of  its  wild 
life  and  adventures ;  and  having  spoken  to  your  father 
last  evening  about  your  giving  up  your  time  for  about 

(66) 


THE    YOUNG   BOBTONIAN8  57 

a  week  to  us,  we  hope  you  will  look  upon  the  proposi- 
tion favorably, —  as  we  learn  from  Mr.  Curtis  that  you 
are  better  posted  about  hunting,  and  know  more  about 
animals  and  birds,  than  even  he,  although  he  has  been 
on  the  Plains  all  his  life." 

"  That  's~ putting  it  rather  strong,"  said  Carlos ;  and 
both  he  and  his  brother  blushed  at  the  compliment. 
"To  be  sure,  we  have  given  a  great  deal  of  time  to  the 
study  of  the  animals  and  birds  of  this  region,  and  per- 
haps know  a  lot  about  them;  and  as  Dad  is  willing 
that  we  show  you  around  here,  both  of  us  will  do  our 
best  to  give  you  some  sport.  Turkeys  are  plenty  now, 
and  they  are  the  largest  bird  we  have." 

"Yes,"  interrupted  Pierre,  "both  buffalo  and  an- 
telope can  easily  be  found  only  a  few  miles  from  here, 
to  say  nothing  of  wolves,  lynxes,  and  an  occasional 
bear.  We  killed  a  she-bear  and  her  cub  on  this  trip." 

While  the  boys  were  talking  to  the  young  men,  their 
father  had  unpacked  the  meat  and  camp  equipage,  un- 
saddled the  riding  animals,  and  picketed  them  out. 
When  he  returned,  the  boys  and  their  visitors  were  sit- 
ting on  the  log,  the  latter  listening  to  a  description  of 
the  beauties  of  the  region,  and  asking  all  sorts  of  ques- 
tions, which  the  strange  scenes  around  them  had  pro- 
voked. 

Then  the  young  men  invited  Carlos  and  Pierre  to  go 
down  to  their  camp  and  dine  with  them,  where  they 
could  lay  out  their  plans  for  the  week  they  proposed  to 
remain  on  the  Walnut. 


58  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

Pierre  and  Carlos,  accompanied  by  the  Indian  trader 
and  the  young  gentlemen,  upon  this  invitation  pro- 
ceeded to  their  camp,  which  could  be  seen  from  the 
dugout,  about  half  a  mile  up  the  river  under  a  large 
box-elder  tree.  Arriving  there,  they  were  invited  in- 
side of  the  tent,  which  was  a  Sibley,  patented  by  an 
army  officer  of  that  name,  after  the  Sioux  tepee.  It 
was  conical  in  shape,  with  capacity  for  a  dozen  men. 
It  had  a  small  stove,  the  pipe  of  which  ran  out  of  the 
top,  and  the  pole  that  held  up  the  canvas  rested  in  an 
iron  tripod  in  the  center.  Scattered  around  were  the 
buffalo-robes  and  blankets,  which  were  the  beds  of  the 
party,  three  saddles,  four  rifles,  fishing-tackle,  and  a 
couple  of  valises. 

Outside  were  two  wagons,  such  as  are  used  by  freight- 
ers on  the  Plains,  with  white  canvas  covers ;  four  mules 
and  three  ponies  picketed  near;  a  brightly  burning 
campfire,  at  which  stood  a  Mexican,  who  was  the  cook 
employed  by  the  young  men  for  their  trip,  now  busily 
engaged  in  preparing  dinner  for  the  party,  as  it  was  al- 
most noon. 

Dick  Curtis,  who  had  left  Fort  Dodge  eight  or  ten 
days  previously,  his  wagons  loaded  with  goods  suitable 
for  trading  with  the  Cheyennes,  was  an  old  trapper, 
Indian  fighter,  guide  and  scout.1  He  had  been  on  the 
Plains  and  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  for  more  than 

1  Scout,  a  person  who  goea  ahead  of  the  soldiers  and  spies  out  what  the  enemy 
Is  doing,  how  many  there  are,  and  gets  all  the  Information  for  the  commanding  of- 
ficer. Especially  Is  this  duty  necessary  In  Indian  warfare.  Kit  Carson  was  the 
greatest  scout  of  his  time;  Colonel' W.  F.  Cody  ("Buffalo  Bill"),  since  the  for- 
mer's death  thirty  years  ago. 


DINNER   IN    THE    INDIAN    TRADER'S    CAMP  59 

twenty  years,  and  was  known  by  everyone  in  the  whole 
region,  from  the  Yellowstone  to  the  Rio  Grande. 

At  Fort  Harker  he  had  met  the  two  young  men  from 
the  East,  who  had  brought  letters  of  introduction  to 
the  officers  of  the  post.  These  officers,  upon  learning 
that  the  mission  of  the  Boston  gentlemen  was  to  ' '  rough 
it"  for  a  week  or  two,  hunt  buffalo  and  wrestle  with 
the  excitement  of  life  on  the  frontier,  suggested  that 
they  make  the  trip  with  Curtis  to  the  Cheyenne  vil- 
lage on  the  Washita,  and  stop  for  a  time  at  the  Dela- 
hoyde  ranch  on  the  Walnut, —  one  of  the  best  parts  of 
the  country  for  big  game.  They  were  also  told  of  the 
accomplishments  of  Carlos  and  Pierre  Delahoyde,  in 
the  direction  of  the  amusement  they  were  seeking ;  so, 
without  a  moment's  hesitation,  they  had  acted  upon 
the  advice  of  the  gentlemen  at  Fort  Dodge. 

Dinner  was  announced  shortly  after  the  arrival  of 
Carlos  and  Pierre  at  the  trader's  camp,  and  as  Curtis 
himself  was  a  famous  shot,  the  larder  was  always  well 
supplied  with  wild  meat. 

The  table  around  which  they  all  gathered  was  formed 
of  the  end-gates  of  the  wagons,  over  which  an  extra 
piece  of  canvas  was  thrown,  to  serve  as  a  cloth.  The 
appointments  in  the  way  of  cups,  dishes,  knives,  forks, 
etc.,  were  of  the  simplest  character, —  generally  tin, 
and  such  as  constitute  a  regular  camping  outfit. 

Buffalo  hump,  grouse l  and  hare  constituted  the 
meats;  in  addition,  biscuits  baked  in  a  Dutch  oven, 

1  Qroute,  a  family  of  birds,  of  which  there  are  many  varieties,  with  different 
names  j  in  this  Instance,  the  well-known  "  prairie-chicken  "  of  the  West. 


CO  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

coffee,  with  milk  from  the  ranch,  together  with  a  va- 
riety of  canned  fruit  purchased  from  the  sutler  at  the 
fort. 

All  did  ample  justice  to  the  meal,  and  at  its  conclu- 
sion young  Summerfield,  Burton,  Carlos  and  Pierre  ad- 
journed to  the  shade  of  the  tent  to  discuss  the  program 
of  the  hunting  expedition,  while  Curtis  busied  himself 
with  some  duty  required  about  his  wagons. 

After  Summerfield  and  Burton  had  filled  and  lighted 
their  pipes  (neither  Carlos  nor  Pierre  indulged  in  to- 
bacco) ,  the  conversation  opened  with  a  discussion  of  the 
wild  turkey,  its  habits,  and  the  best  time  to  hunt  it. 

Pierre  took  up  the  subject  upon  some  interrogatories 
by  both  Summerfield  and  Burton,  telling  them  that 
the  wild  turkey  could  be  found  in  almost  every  piece 
of  timber  in  the  whole  country,  outside  of  the  thickly 
settled  portions.  Sometimes  places  where  they  have 
been  plentiful  will  suddenly  appear  deserted,  but  you 
will  find  them  all  again  somewhere,  where  the  acorns 
and  nuts  of  other  trees  are  ripe ;  so  they  migrate  from 
one  portion  of  the  country  to  another,  coming  back 
in  good  time  to  where  you  first  saw  them. 

"Is  there  as  much  difference  in  size  between  the 
gobblers  and  the  hens  as  there  is  with  our  tame 
ones?"  inquired  Burton. 

"Yes,"  said  Carlos,  "the  hens  are  much  smaller,  not 
half  so  brilliant  in  their  plumage,  have  no  bristles  on 
their  breasts,  no  spurs,  and  the  fleshy  lump  above  the 
bill  is  not  nearly  so  large  as  in  the  gobbler." 


TALK  ABOUT  WILD  TURKEYS  61 

"As  I  understand  it,"  said  Pierre,  "the  wild  turkey 
and  the  domesticated  are  really  the  same  bird  —  so 
Dad  says,  and  he  has  read  all  about  them." 

"It 's  a  mighty  big  thing  to  fin.d  the  nest  of  a  wild 
turkey  (though  I  have  found  a  good  many),"  said 
Carlos;  "for  the  hen  always  covers  up  her  eggs  with 
leaves  when  she  goes  to  feed,  and  you  have  to  watch 
her  very  closely  to  tell  where  the  nest  is,  as  she  does 
not  go  directly  to  it ;  she  never  goes  to  it  twice  by  the 
same  path,  and  unless  you  are  very  patient  and  wait, 
you  will  fail  to  discover  it.  She  lays  from  ten  to  fif- 
teen eggs,  and  they  are  exactly  like  those  of  the  tame 
species." 

"  When  is  the  best  time  to  hunt  them  ?  "  asked  Sum- 
merfield. 

"Oh,  by  moonlight,  on  the  roost,"  replied  Carlos 
and  Pierre,  simultaneously;  "there's  lots  of  fun 
then." 

"Besides,"  said  Pierre,  "they're  so  stupid  and  be- 
wildered, you  can  sometimes  shoot  as  many  as  fifty 
without  moving  from  the  spot." 

"Let's  see,"  said  Carlos;  "it  will  be  full  moon 
next  Wednesday,  and  this  is  Friday;  we  can  go  to 
one  of  the  great  roosts  in  a  day :  what  do  you  say  for 
next  Wednesday  night?" 

Summerfield  and  Burton  readily  and  enthusiastic- 
ally agreed  to  the  proposition.  The  conversation  was 
then  directed  to  "  ways  and  means  "  for  the  trip. 

"  We  will  go  on  horseback,"  said  Pierre;  "  we  don't 


62  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

want  to  be  bothered  with  a  wagon ;  we  can  pack  all 
our  bedding  and  cooking  outfit  on  two  ponies.  You 
gentlemen  can  stand  thirty  miles  on  horseback?"  he 
inquired,  directing  his  interrogatory  to  Summerfield 
and  Burton. 

"Oh,  yes,"  they  both  responded;  and  Summerfield 
continued:  "I  guess  we  rode  a  greater  distance  even 
than  that,  some  days,  on  our  trip  to  the  Washita. 
Didn't  we,  Burton?" 

"I  know  we  did,"  replied  Burton;  "we  have  be- 
come quite  hardened  to  the  saddle  now.  Besides,  our 
ponies  are  wonderfully  easy  in  their  lope." 

"What  shall  we  do  between  now  and  next  Wednes- 
day, boys?"  inquired  Summerfield,  looking  appeal- 
ingly  at  Carlos  and  Pierre. 

"Oh,  there's  lots,"  said  Pierre;  "we  can  fish, 
hunt  jackrabbits  with  the  hounds,  go  up  to  the 
wolf-dens " 

"Or  have  a  night  hunt  after  lynxes  with  Cyrus  and 
Jupe;  they're  thick  in  the  woods  now,"  interrupted 
Carlos;  "but  this  afternoon  I  want  to  show  you  our 
pets  and  museum." 

At  that  moment  the  young  men's  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  a  sort  of  croaking  high  up  in  the  sky,  and 
they  looked  that  way,  then  inquisitively  at  the  boys. 
Pierre  said: 

"There's  a  flock  of  Sandhill  Cranes  sailing  around 
away  above  us;"  and  stretching  his  neck  upward  he 
said,  "  Look  there!  "  as  he  pointed  with  his  finger  al- 


THE    CEANE8    AND    THEIR    ANTICS  63 

most  directly  to  the  zenith,  where  all  presently  saw  a 
thin  circle  resembling  a  small  cloud,  and  listening, 
they  learned  that  the  sonorous  croak  emanated  from 
it. 

"Will  they  light,"  asked  Burton,  "so  we  can  get  a 
good  look  at  them  ?  " 

"Yes,"  replied  Carlos,  "they  are  circling  lower 
now,  and  if  we  wait  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  they 
will  come  down.  If  they  light  near  enough,  you'll 
see  the  funniest  sight  you  ever  looked  atl  " 

"How  's  that  ?  "  inquired  Burton  of  Carlos. 

"Oh,  they  just  dance,  and  go  through  all  sorts  of 
ludicrous  antics;  you'll  see,  if  they  light." 

"Tell  us  something  about  them,  their  habits,  and 
how  they  make  their  nests,"  continued  Burton,  keep- 
ing up  an  animated  dialogue  with  Carlos. 

"Well,  they  're  very  common  here.  They  generally 
arrive  from  the  south  about  the  middle  of  March  or 
early  in  April,  and  stay  with  us  until  the  first  week 
of  October;  sometimes  a  few  will  linger  as  late  as 
Christmas  —  not  frequently ;  it  depends  upon  the 
weather.  We  often  have  the  most  delightful  'fall 
until  then ;  but  when  a  storm  comes  on  you  see  no 
more  of  the  cranes  until  the  next  spring." 

"  How  about  their  nests,  and  how  many  eggs  do  they 
lay?"  queried  Suminerfield. 

"Well,"  answered  Carlos,  "they  make  a  sort  of 
platform  of  rushes  about  three  feet  in  diameter,  lined 
with  the  leaves  of  the  cat-tails,  and  in  this  nest  lay 


64  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

only  two  eggs;  a  kind  of  pale  olive  buff,  spotted  with 
brown  and  purple.  I've  got  a  couple  in  our  museum 
I  '11  show  you  when " 

"  There !  they  're  going  to  light  on  that  bare  sand- 
knoll,"  exclaimed  Pierre,  pointing  to  the  spot  about  an 
eighth  of  a  mile  away,  beyond  the  timber,  "  and  if  we 
sneak  up  behind  the  trees  perhaps  we  can  get  close  enough 
without  scaring  them  away,  and  you  can  see  one  of  their 
funny  cotillions." 

At  this  the  boys  stole  quietly  off,  keeping  in  the  shadow 
of  the  timber,  and  were  successful  in  reaching  a  good 
point  of  observation  without  disturbing  the  birds.  As 
Carl  and  Pierre  squatted  on  the  ground,  making  a  sign 
for  Summerfield  and  Burton  to  do  the  same,  Pierre  put 
his  fingers  on  his  lips,  a  sign  for  absolute  silence.  The 
cranes  then  commenced  to  bow  to  each  other,  leap  into 
the  air,  skip  backward  and  forward  and  circle  about,  let- 
ting their  great  wings  droop  as  they  did  so,  uttering  their 
croaking  whoops,  and  working  themselves  into  a  frenzy 
of  excitement  more  intense  every  second. 

So  ridiculous  did  their  movements  appear  to  the  boys 
who  were  watching  them,  that  all  simultaneously  burst 
into  a  loud  laugh,  and  the  cranes  on  the  instant,  with  a 
sharp  croak,  took  to  their  wings,  and  were  soon  circling 
more  than  a  half-mile  above  where  they  had  danced. 

"  Now  that  fun's  over,"  said  Carlos,  "  let's  go  up  home 
and  look  at  our  museum  in  the  dugout,  and  our  pets  that 
are  scattered  all  around  the  place," 


MUSEUM    AT   THE    DUGOUT  65 

So  they  started  on  a  brisk  walk  for  the  ranch,  Summer- 
field  and  Burton  evidently  delighted  at  what  they  had  seen, 
and  on  the  anxious  lookout  for  fresh  experiences. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  dugout,  Carlos  and  Pierre  led 
the  way  to  the  room  on  the  extreme  right,  and  when  the 
Boston  young  men  entered,  their  eyes  fairly  bulged  with 
astonishment. 

Around  the  rude  walls,  on  shelves  equally  as  rude,  made 
of  hewn  slabs,  were  the  nests  and  eggs  of  the  several  vari- 
eties of  birds  indigenous  to  the  region,  but  there  were  no 
duplicates,  for  both  Carlos  and  Pierre  collected  only  to 
study ;  their  natural  love  for  animate  nature  was  too  great 
to  permit  them  to  destroy  for  pure  wantonness. 

Summerfield  and  Burton  were  especially  attracted  by 
the  elk,  which  was  once  the  favorite  of  the  boys,  and  they 
had  to  tell  the  story  of  his  capture,  his  long  sojourn  with 
them,  and  his  sad  ending. 

Among  the  animals,  nicely  mounted,  were  the  little 
lynxes  the  boys  once  attempted  to  tame,  a  couple  of  beaver, 
an  otter,  a  badger,  and  a  'coon ;  all  the  varieties  of  birds, 
too,  whose  nests  were  there,  had  a  place  in  the  collection. 
Summerfield  and  Burton,  after  spending  a  most  agreeable 
and  instructive  hour  with  their  newly  found  friends,  de- 
clared that  if  the  collection  were  in  Boston  it  would  readily 
sell  for  many  hundreds  of  dollars. 

As  they  left  the  museum,  Piqrre  said : 

"  Now  we  '11  hunt  up  our  pets,  and  the  first  we  '11  show 

you  is  '  Ephraim,'  our  bear.     Dad  says  that  all  old  trap- 
—  5 


06  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

pers  and  mountaineers  call  that  animal  '  Ephraim/  so  we 
christened  ours  by  that  name." 

"  How  old  is  he  ? "  inquired  Burton,  as  Ephraim  came 
crawling  out  of  his  den  in  the  ledge  of  rocks  just  in  rear 
of  the  dugout,  whence  the  boys  had  led  their  guests,  and 
called  their  rough  pet  by  name.  He  was  fastened  to  a 
tree  outside  by  a  long  chain. 

"  How  old  is  he  ? "  inquired  Summerfield  of  Pierre, 
forgetting  that  Burton  had  just  asked  the  same  question. 

"  About  four  years  this  month,"  answered  Pierre. 

"Dad  and  we  boys  were  out  one  morning,  getting  a 
load  of  dry  wood  for  mother  to  cook  with,  and  we  were 
not  more  than  a  half-mile  from  the  dugout  when  Carlos, 
who  was  off  by  himself  a  short  distance,  after  an  eagle's 
nest  he  had  discovered  in  the  uppermost  dead  forks  of  a 
tall  cottonwood,  suddenly  yelled  as  if  he  were  hurt.  Wo 
supposed  at  first  that  he  had  tumbled  from  the  tree  and 
broken  his  leg  or  arm;  so,  dropping  everything,  Dad  and 
I  ran  with  our  rifles  to  where  we  had  heard  him  scream, 
and  when  we  got  there  we  saw  him  sitting  on  one  of  the 
lower  limbs,  laughing  at  his  predicament.  At  the  foot  of 
the  tree  was  a  she-bear  with  one  cub,  and  the  old  one  was 
examining  Carl's  rifle,  which  necessarily  he  had  to  leave 
on  the  ground  when  he  climbed  up  the  tree  to  get  the 
eagle's  eggs.  The  bear  was  turning  the  rifle  over  with  her 
nose,  smelling  it,  and  once  in  a  while  touching  it  with  her 
paw.  You  know  bears  are  full  of  curiosity,  and  when 
they  come  across  anything  they  are  not  familiar  with, 


"EPHRAIM,"  THE  PET  BEAR  67 

at  once  commence  to  investigate  it  closely.     Dad  shot  the   » 
bear,  and  Carl  came  down  from  his  perch.     As  the  cub 
was  only  a  few  weeks  old  it  was  very  small,  and  we  had 
no  difficulty  in  running  it  down  after  a  spirited  chase. 

"  Carl  told  us  that  he  yelled  as  if  he  were  hurt,  so  as 
to  attract  our  attention  quicker,  as  he  was  not  very  com- 
fortable in  the  forks  of  the  tree,  and  had  the  eagle's  eggs 
in  his  hat,  which  he  did  n't  want  to  lose.  He  was  n't  a 
bit  scared ;  it  takes  a  good  deal  to  frighten  him." 

"  Those  were  the  very  eggs  I  showed  you  in  the  mu- 
seum," said  Carlos,  after  his  brother  had  told  the  story 
of  how  they  captured  Ephraim. 

"  We  got  the  cub  home,"  continued  Pierre,  "  and  as 
we  had  plenty  of  milk,  had  no  trouble  in  getting  him  to 
drink  it  right  away.     He  was  very  fat  when  we  caught 
him,  and  I  don't  believe  he  ever  lost  an  ounce  of  flesh,  so     ' 
kindly  did  he  take  to  his  change  of  living." 

"  Ephraim  soon  became  a  great  pet,"  said  Carlos,  "  and 
as  he  grew  we  taught  him  lots  of  tricks ;  I  '11  show  you 
one,"  continued  he  as  he  caught  hold  of  the  bear  around 
the  body  and  began  to  wrestle  with  him.  Over  and  over 
they  tumbled,  the  bear  evidently  enjoying  the  fun  as  well 
as  Carlos,  but  the  bear  was  the  stronger  of  the  two,  and 
he  succeeded  in  throwing  Carlos  on  his  back  during  the 
scuffle.  Effecting  that,  the  bear  would  let  go  his  hold  and 
stand  up  on  his  hind  legs,  ready  for  another  bout. 

"  One  of  his  dislikes,"  said  Pierre,  as  Carlos  ended  the 
wrestle  with  Ephraim,  "  is  dogs  —  I  mean  strange  dogs  j 


68  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

of  course  he  will  not  make  any  fuss  when  he  sees  our  own, 
but  they  generally  keep  clear  of  him.  Once  when  an 
Indian  trader  who  had  a  dog  with  him  camped  here  about 
three  years  ago,  and  the  dog  tried  to  be  too  familiar  with 
Ephraim,  he  just  split  his  head  open  with  one  stroke  of 
his  paw." 

"  Ephraim  will  follow  us  around  just  like  a  dog,  when 
we  let  him/'  said  Carlos.  Once  when  I  had  him  out 
in  the  woods  with  me,  it  got  dark  so  I  could  n't  see 
my  hand  before  my  face.  I  lost  my  way,  and  did  n't  know 
in  which  direction  to  go.  Whenever  I  started  in  a  certain 
direction,  Ephraim  would  act  uneasy,  and  run  in  front 
of  me  against  my  legs,  as  if  to  warn  me  that  I  was  going 
wrong.  As  he  did  this  several  times  when  I  changed  my 
course,  at  last  I  thought  I  would  just  follow  him  as  he 
walked  right  in  front  of  me,  when,  without  halting  once, 
or  hesitating  at  all,  he  led  me  straight  home,  knowing  the 
direction,  although  it  was  dark  as  pitch,  as  well  as  if  it 
had  been  daylight." 

Having  watched  the  bear's  antics  for  some  time,  young 
Summerfield  and  Burton  were  preparing  to  return  to  their 
camp  for  the  night,  as  it  was  now  about  six  o'clock,  when 
Mrs.  Delahoyde  came  out  of  the  dugout  and  invited  them 
to  remain  and  take  supper  with  the  boys. 

"  We  have  plenty  of  milk,"  said  she ;  "  I  will  have  hot 
biscuit,  fresh  butter,  and  will  give  you  some  broiled  bear- 
steak  from  the  cub  the  boys  brought  home  yesterday." 

The  young  gentlemen  did  not  need  a  second  invitation, 


THE    SPRING  BEHIND    THE    DUGOUT  69 

so  gladly  accepted  the  first.  Then  Carlos  said  he  would 
show  them  the  spring,  where  they  could  wash,  as  his 
mother  brought  out  a  clean  towel. 

The  spring  was  only  a  dozen  yards  in  rear  of  the  dug- 
out— a  stream  of  cool,  clear  water  as  big  as  a  man's  arm, 
rushing  out  of  the  rocky  bluff,  forming  a  natural  basin 
below,  where  probably  for  ages  it  had  fallen  on  the  ledge, 
and  had  worn  out  a  hollow  eight  or  nine  feet  in  diameter 
and  four  deep. 

"  This  is  our  bath  sometimes,"  said  Carlos,  "  when 
the  river  gets  on  a  tear,  and  is  too  muddy ;  the  only  objec- 
tion to  the  water  is,  that  it  is  too  cold.  If  you  want  to  try 
it  after  dark,  mother  will  let  you  have  all  the  towels  you 
want." 

"I'd 'like  it  first-rate,"  said  Summerfield;  "I  have 
always  been  used  to  taking  a  cold  bath  every  morning  at 
home  since  I  was  seven  years  old, — kept  it  up  all  through 
college,  and  until  I  came  out  West  have  never  missed. 
But  Carl,  if  it  will  make  no  difference  to  you  folks,  I 
would  prefer  to  take  a  bath  early  in  the  morning.  I  have 
plenty  of  towels  down  in  my  tent." 

"  Thai 's  all  right,"  said  Carlos ;  "  no  one  will  disturb 
you,  and  as  the  pool  is  completely  hidden  in  the  willows, 
you  will  be  as  private  there  as  if  you  were  in  your  own 
tent." 

After  they  had  completed  their  ablutions  at  the  spring, 
all  walked  to  the  dugout,  where  Mrs.  Delahoyde  surprised 
them  by  announcing  supper  ready,  which  she  had  set  out- 


70  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

side  of  the  dwelling  on  the  short,  velvety  buffalo-grass, 
which  formed  a  natural  laAvn  to  the  curious  building. 

On  the  grass  was  spread  an  immaculately  white  cloth, 
around  which,  prone  upon  the  sod,  reclining  after  the 
method  of  the  old  Romans1  when  eating,  the  little  party 
distributed  themselves. 

The  service  was  very  plain,  of  course,  but  the  variety 
of  the  viands,  and  the  absolute  cleanliness  which  charac- 
terized the  meal,  charmed  the  young  Bostonians,  who  did 
ample  justice  to  it,  and  were  profuse  in  their  compliments 
to  their  hostess  for  offering  them  such  an  entertainment, 
so  delightfully  and  really  al  fresco,  (as  the  Italians  say  for 
out-of-doors.) 

A  great  pail  of  milk,  which  had  been  cooled  to  almost 
icy  refrigeration  by  immersion  in  the  spring;  biscuits  that 
in  lightness  and  whiteness  rivaled  the  fleecy  clouds  float- 
ing above  them  in  the  heavens ;  and  most  deliciously  broiled 
young  bear-steaks,  which  were  a  new  sensation  to  the 
young  visitors, — these  formed  the  component  parts  of  that 
supper,  with  marmalade  made  of  the  wild  plum,  as  the  last 
course. 

After  all  had  partaken  'heartily,  and  Mrs.  Delahoyde 
had  removed  the  cloth,  the  party  lingered  where  they  sat, 
and  as  the  rays  of  the  declining  sun  were  gilding  the  crests 
of  the  bluffs,  a  delightful  breeze  came  from  the  south, 
making  the  whole  scene  in  its  wild  picturesqueness  a  de- 

1  The  Romans  reclined  on  a  couch  or  sort  of  bench  while  eating ;  they  did  not  sit  on 
chairs,  as  we  do. 


MOLES   AND   THEIR   HABITS  7l 

lightful  re  very,  they  indulged  in  conversation  full  of  in- 
terest and  instruction. 

/ 

"  Boys,"  said  their  father  at  last,  "you  have  not  shown 
these  gentlemen  what  I  regard  as  the  most  curious  and 
interesting  of  your  pets — the  Moles." 

"  Why,  have  you  tamed  moles,  too  ? "  asked  Summer- 
field,  in  surprise. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  answered  Mr.  Delahoyde,  "  and  the 
boys  can  tell  you  more  about  them  than  you  ever  knew, 
perhaps,  because  they  have  made  a  study  of  them, — partic- 
ularly Carlos." 

"  We  've  seen  lots  of  them  at  home,"  said  Burton,  "  but 
they  are  so  common  that  we  never  took  much  interest  in 
them." 

"  Go  bring  them,  Carl,"  said  his  mother,  who  having 
completed  her  domestic  duties  inside  of  the  dugout,  joined 
the  group  on  the  lawn. 

Carlos  promptly  obeyed,  and  in  a  few  moments  re- 
turned, bringing  with  him  a  cracker-box,  into  which  the 
young  Bostonians  looked,  and  saw  nestled  in  dry  leaves 
and  grass,  six  of  the  beautiful  little  creatures  they  had 
been  talking  about,  which  immediately  rose  up  on  their 
hind  legs,  as  they  felt  the  fingers  of  some  one  touching 
their  nest. 

As  Mr.  Delahoyde  had  said,  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
animals  in  the  region  in  which  the  ranch  was  located  was 
the  mole.  He  is  a  timid,  unobtrusive  creature,  yet,  as  is 
well  known  in  strictly  agricultural  districts,  he  exercises 


72  THE    DELAHOYDES 

considerable  influence  upon  the  welfare  of  the  farmer.  In 
the  East  he  is  always  to  be  found  around  country  homes, 
and  what  boy  who  ever  lived  in  rural  districts  there,  has 
failed,  as  he  wandered  through  the  fields  of  his  father's 
farm,  to  attempt  the  capture  of  the  handsome  little  fellow  ? 

Scientists  aver  that  if  it  were  not  for  this  industrious 
little  animal,  our  land  would  be  overrun  with  those  worms 
that  live  beneath  the  ground  and  do  great  damage  to  the 
crops  so  necessary  to  our  very  existence. 

Carlos  and  Pierre  discovered,  after  one  or  two  failures, 
that  the  moles  were  easily  tamed,  and  made  clean,  affec- 
tionate little  pets.  The  box  in  .which  they  we,re  kept  was 
well  ventilated,  and  filled  with  earth  and  prairie  hay. 
They  had  to  be  fed  regularly,  as  the  boys  had  found  by  a 
sad  experience  that  if  they  were  at  all  neglected  they 
would  soon  die. 

Differing  from  other  wild  animals,  as  soon  as  a  mole  is 
caught  and  put  in  its  house  it  will  begin  to  eat  immedi- 
ately. 

Carlos  had  studied  the  habits  of  the  mole  very  indus- 
triously, and  said,  as  he  handled  one,  that  of  all  the  ani- 
mals with  which  he  was  familiar,  it  was  the  most  skillful 
digger. 

That  his  observations  were  true,  anyone  who  has 
watched  a  mole  working  his  way  through  the  soil  in  search 
of  food  will  admit.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  an  animal 
any  better  adapted  to  his  work.  Nature  has  fitted  him 
most  magnificently  for  the  work  he  has  to  perform.  His 


MOLES    AND   THEIR   HABITS  78 

front  paws  are  made  like  broad  shovels ;  have  five  strong 
claws,  which  set  in  a  groove  at  the  end  of  a  finger-joint, 
and  work  perfectly  in  putting  away  the  earth  which  must 
be  moved  in  search  of  his  food.  His  front  legs  are  short, 
fixed  to  a  shoulder  remarkable  for  its  strength,  while  his 
breast-bone  is  strongly  formed  so  as  to  throw  his  head, 
when  he  is  digging,  on  a  level  with  his  hands.  His  nose, 
too,  has  a  mighty  part  to  play  in  his  excavations;  it  is 
long  and  slender,  with  a  small  bone  at  the  very  top,  which 
helps  him  to  push  his  way  forward.  His  hind  feet  stand 
flat  and  firmly  upon  the  ground,  and  altogether  he  is  very 
strongly  made.  With  his  nose  he  picks  out  the  worms 
and  other  insects  from  their  hiding-places  as  he  moves 
along. 

The  mole  is  always  very  hungry,  and  the  deprivation 
of  food  makes  him  crazy  and  he  soon  dies;  the  boys  dis- 
covered this  fact  from  the  experience  they  had  while  at- 
tempting to  tame  the  first  ones  they  caught,  in  putting  no 
food  in  the  cage  and  leaving  them  until  night.  When 
they  returned  with  the  cows  they  found  their  would-be 
pets  dead.  They  however  profited  by  their  lesson,  and 
found  that  moles  would  eat  fresh  meat  when  confined. 
Once  when,  by  circumstances  they  could  not  control,  they 
neglected  to  place  food  in  the  cage  where  there  were  two  of 
the  little  animals,  they  found  the  one  living  had  killed  and 
devoured  his  comrade. 

Moles  go  about  on  top  of  the  ground  at  certain  times, 
and  are  themselves  devoured  by  wolves  and  coyotes.  They 


74  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

are  almost  blind,  but  are  able  to  hear  well,  which  fact  in 
part  compensates  for  the  deficiency  of  the  other  sense. 

The  mole's  eyes  are  very  small,  and  are  almost  hidden 
in  the  beautiful  soft  and  fine  fur  which  covers  him,  and 
his  ears  are  almost  closed. 

Pierre,  also,  made  a  long  study  of  the  habits  of  these 
little  animals,  and  found  that  they  build  themselves  little 
fortresses.  He  discovered  that  their  little  houses  are  not 
indicated,  as  one  would  naturally  suppose,  by  the  ridge  of 
earth  which  marks  their  hunting  expeditions,  but  is  a 
small  hill  thrown  up  by  themselves  which  is  protected  by 
a  bank,  the  base  of  a  tree,  or  a  rock. 

The  industrious  little  fellows  first  work  the  earth  very 
well  to  make  it  convenient  for  use  in  building,  and  con- 
struct galleries  for  the  purpose  of  communication  with 
each  other.  At  the  upper  part  of  the  hill  a  round  gallery 
is  constructed,  and  from  it  five  passages  lead  to  another 
gallery  below,  which  is  larger  than  the  first  one.  In  the 
lower  gallery  there  is  a  room  which  might  be  called  the 
citadel  of  the  fortress,  and  there  the  little  animal  lives. 
It  is  made  very  dry,  and  constructed  with  great  care. 
Another  gallery  goes  from  the  lower  one  in  a  straight  line 
as  far  as  the  animal  hunts.  At  the  bottom  of  the  sleeping- 
place  is  another,  sinking  lower  into  the  earth.  Several 
little  passages  are  made  to  provide  the  house  with  water, 
and  along  which  the  mole  goes  for  the  desired  liquid.  It 
seems  that  these  animals  require  a  great  deal  of  water. 


MOLES    AND    THEIR    HABITS  75 

and  their  little  homes  usually  communicate  with  a  ditch 
or  pond. 

Their  little  ones  are  born  in  another  department,  which 
is  placed  at  some  distance  from  the  main  dormitory.  The 
mother  gives  birth  to  four  or  five  at  a  time,  which  in  little 
more  than  a  month  begin  to  run  about  and  provide  them- 
selves with  food,  although  they  are  only  about  half  grown. 

Sometimes  eight  or  nine  defiles  run  around  the  hill  from 
which  the  mole  gets  his  food.  If  the  hill  is  very  large  it 
may  shelter  several  moles,  but  they  are  very  careful  not 
to  trespass  upon  one  another's  hunting-grounds.  If  two 
should  meet  in  the  defiles,  they  fight  until  the  weakest 
one  is  overcome  and  retreats. 

The  mole  never  searches  for  food  near  the  spot  which 
he  has  chosen  for  his  fortress.  He  labors  for  two  hours 
in  the  morning  when  he  is  building  his  edifice;  then  does 
not  begin  again  until  evening,  when  he  works  two  hours 
more.  The  principal  defiles  of  the  fortress  are  formed  in 
a  circle,  so  that  if  anything  happens  he  escapes  through 
some  of  the  many  run-ways. 

After  listening  to  Mr.  Delahoyde  and  his  boys  expatiate 
upon  the  merits  of  the  pretty  little  creatures,  Burton  said 
that  he  had  no  idea  that  the  subject  of  moles  could  be  so 
interesting;  that  he  had  been  delighted  and  instructed  as 
well. 

It  was  now  fairly  night,   and  Summerfield  suggested 


lO  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

the  propriety  of  going  to  bed,  as  he  wanted  to  get  up  early, 
take  his  bath,  and  pass  another  pleasant  day. 

So  they  all  got  up,  Mr.  Delahoyde  and  sons  accompany- 
ing the  visitors  to  their  camp. 

The  gibbous  moon  poured  out  a  flood  of  light  as  they 
walked  through  the  timber,  and  Pierre  said : 

"  That  will  be  a  glorious  moon  for  our  turkey-hunt  next 
Wednesday  night." 

"  Suppose  it  storms  ? "  remarked  Burton. 

"  No  fear  of  that,"  said  Carlos  j  "  it  never  rains  here  at 
this  time  of  the  year." 

"  Carl  is  right,"  said  Mr.  Delahoyde ;  "  you  can  depend 
upon  a  most  brilliant  full  moon."  Then,  having  reached 
the  tent,  they  bade  their  guests  good-night,  and  walked 
back  to  the  dugout  and  immediately  retired. 


CHAPTER  V. 

POISONING  WOLVES.  -  BATHING  IN  THE  BIG  SPRING.  - 
FISHING  WITH  A  TROT-LINE.  -  BURTON'S  CTTKIOUS  CATCH. 
-  THE  GARP1KE.  -  PRAIRIE  GROUSE.  -  OTTER,  AND  THEIR 
HABITS.  -  HOOK  A  SOFT-SHELL  TURTLE.  -  TALK  ABOUT 
ANIMALS  AROUND  THE  CAMPFIRE.  -  STORY  OF  THE  FIVE 
SKUNKS. 


A^TEE  breakfast  was  over  at  the  ranch,  Curtis  came 
to  the  dugout  and  inquired  of  Mr.  Delahoyde 
whether  his  boys  had  any  wolf-skins  to  dispose  of. 

He  replied  that  he  thought  they  had  about  twenty-five 
or  thirty,  and  calling  Carlos  and  Pierre,  he  asked  them 
how  many  wolves  they  had  poisoned  since  the  trader  was 
there  a  few  months  ago  and  bought  all  they  then  had. 

The  boys  said  they  had  thirty,  fine  ones  ;  and  upon  Mr. 
Curtis  telling  them  he  wanted  to  purchase  all,  they  took 
him  to  a  sort  of  storeroom  built  in  rear  of  the  dwelling, 
and  showed  them  to  him. 

The  skins  were  in  excellent  condition,  for  the  boys  un- 
derstood perfectly  the  art  of  preserving  furs,1  and  Curtis 
told  them  he  would  pay  the  usual  price  of  one  dollar  apiece 
for  them. 

1  The  art  of  preserving  furs  Is  the  knowledge  of  that  process  which  will  keep  them 
from  spoiling  when  first  taken  from  the  animal.  The  best  method  is  a  solution  of 
equal  parts  of  saltpeter  and  alum,  with  which  rub  the  skin  on  both  sides  two  or  three 
times  a  day  for  a  week.  I  advise  all  boys  to  use  this  preparation,  which  is  perfectly 
harmless  to  human  life,  and  never  to  use  arsenic,  which  is  poisonous.  I  have  used  It 
for  thirty  years,  and  never  failed.  They  are  the  same  ingredients  employed  by  the 
Smithsonian  Institution,  and  are  recommended  by  it. 

(77)  / 


78  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

The  trade  in  wolf-hides  was  quite  a  remunerative  one 
for  Carlos  and  Pierre,  amounting  sometimes  to  two  or 
three  hundred  dollars  a  year.  Their  method  of  procuring 
them  was  adopted  by  all  trappers,  and  had  been  taught 
by  their  father. 

Young  saplings,  generally  of  the  cottonwood,  about  four 
inches  in  diameter,  are  cut  into  lengths  of  two  feet,  one 
end  sharpened,  and  at  the  other  a  cup  is  made  two  or 
three  inches  deep.  These  stakes  are  driven  into  the  .ground 
out  on  the  prairie,  and  into  the  cup  is  poured  melted  grease 
mixed  with  strychnine.  The  wolves  lick  the  cups  at  night 
as  they  prowl  around,  and  in  a  few  moments  afterward 
are  dead.  Frequently  as  many  as  ten  of  the  wolves  are 
found  in  the  morning  when  the  location  of  the  bait  is  vis- 
ited. Of  course  they  are  sought  for  only  during  two  or 
three  of  the  winter  months,  when  their  hair  is  thick  and 
desirable. 

During  the  period  of  wolf-poisoning,  the  boys  confine 
their  hounds  at  night,  for  even  the  most  intelligent  dog 
does  not  possess  brains  enough  to  discriminate  between 
what  is  healthful  and  what  would  kill  him,  if  the  odor  is 
attractive. 

When  the  Indian  trader  returned  to  the  dugout  with 
one  of  his  wagons  to  transport  to  camp  the  wolf-robes  he 
had  purchased  from  the  boys,  Summerfield  and  Burton 
came  with  him  to  learn  what  program  Pierre  and  Carlos 
had  decided  upon  for  that  day's  amusement. 

After  the  usual  greetings,  Pierre  asked  Summerfield 


FISHING   TRIP   DECIDED    ON  79 

whether  he  had  indulged  in  his  bath  at  the  pool,  as  he  had 
proposed  the  evening  before.  ' 

"  Tqs,  indeed,"  replied  he  to  the  inquiry ;  "  I  was  up 
at  the  first  streak  of  dawn,  and  enjoyed  my  plunge  im- 
mensely. When  I  came  up  through  the  timber,  your  dogs 
advanced  to  meet  me,  looked  askance,  but  after  smelling 
me,  probably  satisfied  that  I  was  all  right,  went  back  to 
their  places  on  top  of  the  dugout  and  curled  themselves  up 
again  to  sleep.  I  found  the  water  in  the  pool  very  cold,  as 
Carl  suggested  it  would  be,  but  I  felt  all  right  in  a  mo- 
ment after  I  had  splashed  myself  thoroughly." 

"  Have  you  decided  how  you  and  Burton  would  like  to 
put  in  the  day  ? "  asked  Carlos  of  Summerfield,  as  he  got 
through  telling  about  his  early  bath. 

"  jSTo,"  he  replied,  "  but  Burton  has  expressed  a  desire 
to  try  his  luck  at  fishing;  we  both  have  excellent  tackle.'' 

"  Well,  let 's  go  fishing  then,"  suggested  Pierre ;  "  only 
if  we  want  to  have  lots  of  fun,  it 's  better  to  stretch  a  trot- 
line  across  the  river,  and  then  we  are  more  likely  to  catch 
some  big  cats.  Carl  and  I  have  a  fine  one  all  ready  for 
business,  but  baiting." 

"  All  right,"  said  Burton ;  "  but  I  must  confess  my 
ignorance  of  what  you  mean  by  a  'trot-line.'  " 

"  I  '11  tell  you,  then,"  said  Pierre.  "  It  is  a  long  fishing- 
line,  long  enough  to  reach  from  one  bank  of  the  river  to 
the  other.  At  certain  distances  apart  are  fastened  short 
lines,  to  each  of  which  is  tied  a  hook.  The  hooks  are 
about  two  feet  apart,  and  well  weighted  with  sinkers,  so 


80  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

that  they  will  stay  straight  down  in  the  water.  Sometimes 
when  you  haul  up  the  line,  after  letting  it  remain  for  a 
couple  of  hours  or  so,  you  '11  get  a  big  fish  on  every  hook." 

"  I  know  now  what  you  mean,  since  you  have  described 
it,"  said  Burton ;  "  it 's  the  same  thing  all  regular  cod-fish- 
ermen on  the  New  England  coast  call  a  trawl ;  only  a  trawl 
is  frequently  two  or  three  miles  long.  It  is  coiled  up  in 
a  tub  in  the  boat,  already  baited  with  clams,  and  when  the 
fisherman  reach  the  location  they  started  for,  the  long  line 
is  paid  out, — both  ends  being  fastened  to  an  immense  float, 
usually  a  small  barrel." 

"  What  do  you  use  for  bait  on  your  trot-line  ?  "  inquired 
Burton. 

"  Any  kind  of  meat  that  we  chance  to  have  at  the  time. 
Some  of  the  cub  that  we  killed  the  other  day  must  serve 
our  purpose  on  this  excursion ;  it 's  all  we  have  now  on 
hand,  but  it  is  just  as  good  as  any." 

"  Let 's  start  at  once,"  said  Carlos ;  "  it  will  take  two 
hours  to  get  the  line  ready  and  bait  it  up." 

"  Yes,  all  of  that,"  said  Pierre,  "  if  you  count  in  the 
time  it  will  take  to  get  to  where  we  want  to  go  to  set  it." 

"  I  guess  I  '11  take  my  pole  and  tackle  along,"  said  Bur- 
ton ;  "  perhaps  I  can  catch  something  myself.  I  do  so  love 
to  angle." 

"All  right,"  said  Carlos;  "you'll  have  plenty  of  time 
to  try  your  luck  before  we  fellows  get  the  trot-line  set." 

Then  they  all  started  for  the  store-room  back  of  the  dug- 
out where  Carlos  and  Pierre  kept  their  odds  and  ends  for 


GETTING   READY   TO    START  81 

hunting  and  fishing.  When  they  arrived  there,  Pierre 
said :  "  Carl,  you  and  Summerfield  straighten  out  the 
trot-line,  and  while  Burton  goes  down  to  camp  for  his 
tackle  I  '11  cut  up  the  bait,  and  then  we  '11  all  put  it  on 
the  hooks." 

Burton  went  for  his  pole,  telling  the  boys  that  he  would 
hurry  back  and  help  them.  Carlos  and  Summerfield  then 
got  out  the  line  and  began  to  untangle  it,  while  Pierre 
started  for  a  cottonwood  a  short  distance  off,  to  a  limb  of 
which  the  carcass  of  the  cub  was  hanging,  and  commenced 
to  cut  off  liberal  slices  of  the  toughest  and  most  worthless 
portions  of  the  young  bear. 

In  a  little  while  the  boys  got  the  trot-line  straightened 
out,  stretched  it  on  the  grass,  and  Pierre  having  gotten 
the  bait  cut  up  into  suitably  sized  pieces,  the  three  com- 
menced to  put  it  on  the  hundred  or  more  hooks. 

Before  they  had  completed  the  job,  Burton  returned 
from  camp  with  his  fishing-tackle,  and  helped  the  other 
boys  finish  baiting. 

"  Where  do  you  think  we  'd  better  go  ?  "  inquired  Car- 
los of  his  brother. 

"  Why,  I  was  thinking  the  best  place  would  be  at  the 
bend  of  the  !N"orth  Walnut,  just  below  where  Spring  creek 
empties  into  it.  You  know  we  've  always  been  lucky  fish- 
ing there;  caught  some  of  the  biggest  cats  that  were  ever 
taken  out  of  the  Arkansas." 

"  I  guess  you  're  right,"  said  Carlos  j  "  besides,  it 's  only 


82  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

a  few  miles  from  here,  and  we  can  make  it  easily  in  an 
hour  and  twenty  minutes." 

So,  the  question  of  location  being  thus  quickly  decided, 
the  little  party  trudged  off,  whistling,  laughing  and  gos- 
sipping  on  the  way. 

They  arrived  there  at  the  appointed  time  suggested  by 
Carlos,  and  found  it  a  really  beautiful  spot,  and  said  that 
Pierre  had  made  no  mistake  in  selecting  their  objective 
point,  so  far  as  beauty  of  scenery  was  concerned.  There 
the  Walnut  made  a  graceful  bend  to  the  southeast,  and 
both  banks  of  the  stream  were  heavily  fringed  with  great 
cottonwoods  and  box-elders,  whose  limbs  hung  far  out  over 
the  water,  making  one  of  those  deeply  shaded  places  that 
the  sluggish  catfish  love  to  hide  in.  The  banks,  too,  in- 
stead of  shelving  gradually  to  the  edge  of  the  river,  as 
elsewhere,  were  four  or  five  feet  high,  and  washed  out 
underneath  to  a  distance  of  three  feet,  where  the  dark 
water  moved  very  slowly, — a  perfect  paradise  of  a  retreat 
for  the  species  of  fish  the  boys  were  after,  where  they  love 
to  secrete  themselves  under  just  such  a  protection  from  the 
sunlight. 

Both  Summerfield  and  Burton  were  charmed  with  the 
delightfully  sequestered  place,  with  its  primitive  grandeur, 
and  so  expressed  themselves  most  enthusiastically  to  Car- 
los and  Pierre,  who,  though  brought  up  amid  such  mag- 
nificent scenes,  declared  that  it  was  one  of  their  favorite 
resorts  of  the"  many  in  the  wild  region  where  they  lived. 

The  boys  had  brought  a  luncheon  with  them,  which 


ARRIVAL   AT   THE    RIVER  83 

Mrs.  Delahoyde  insisted  they  must  take  along,  as  it  would 
be  many  hours  until  supper-time,  and  they  did  not  intend 
to  return  to  dinner,  as  it  was  after  ten  o'clock  before  they 
could  get  away  from  the  ranch. 

A  dozen  cold  biscuits,  a  jug  of  milk  and  a  small  pail  of 
wild-plum  jam,  she  thought  would  suffice,  although  the 
party  were  not  heavily  freighted  and  could  easily  have 
taken  more.  The  trot-line  was  wound  on  a  stick,  and  they 
only  had  that  and  their  luncheon  to  carry.  Of  course  the 
boys  took  their  rifles ;  Carl  and  Pierre  never  went  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  from  home  without  them,  and  so  used  were 
they  to  their  guns,  they  really  appeared  a  necessary  part 
of  themselves.  Smnmerfield  and  Burton  had  theirs  with 
them,  too,  because  Mr.  Delahoyde  had  told  them  the  even- 
ing before,  that  it  was  one  of  the  unpardonable  sins  of 
the  frontier  for  a  man  to  go  anywhere  without  some  sort 
of  weapon. 

Pierre  told  Burton  he  might  as  well  cast  in  his  line,  as 
the  rest  of  them  were  enough  to  set  the  trot-line;  so  he 
jointed  his  rod,  baited  his  hook,  and  seating  himself  on 
the  grass  under  one  of  the  big  cottonwoods,  threw  his  line 
as  far  up  the  stream  as  he  could,  into  the  darkest  part  of 
the  eddy. 

"  You  '11  not  get  a  bite  at  once,"  said  Carlos  to  him,  as 
he  looked  so  anxiously  toward  his  cork  float ;  "  you  may 
have  to  wait  an  hour  before  you  get  even  a  nibble;  these 
Western  cats  are  terribly  slow  at  taking  the  hook." 

Just  as  he  spoke,  however,  Burton  felt  a  fearful  tug- 


84  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

ging  at  his  line;  his  float  entirely  disappeared,  and  as 
he  pulled  up  on  his  pole,  he  saw  a  curious-looking  fish 
wriggling  on  his  hook.  It  was  about  two  feet  long,  and 
seemed  mostly  nose,  while  its  body  was  covered  with  knobs 
like  armor. 

"  What  in  the  world  is  it  ? "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  suc- 
cessfully landed  it  alongside  him,  and  got  a  good  look  at  it. 

"  Why  that 's  a  Garpike,"  said  both  Carlos  and  Pierre, 
as  they  laughed  at  Burton's  apparent  perplexity  in  at- 
tempting to  classify  his  strange-looking  monster. 

"  Why,  so  it  is !  "  said  Summerfield,  coming  toward 
Burton.  "  I  studied  that  class  of  fishes  in  college.  They 
are  the  real  aristocrats  of  the  whole  world,  if  ancient  an- 
cestry is  considered.  They  have  descended  without  a 
break  from  the  Devonian  period,  tens  of  thousands  of 
years  ago !  " 

"  That  is  just  what  Dad  says  about  'em,  too,"  said  Car- 
los ;  "  and  you  know  he  is  a  college  graduate.  We  always 
throw  'em  back  into  the  water.  They  're  no  good  but  to 
bother  a  fellow  when  he  is  fishing. 

"  If  that 's  the  case,  here  goes,"  said  Burton,  as  he 
unhooked  his  prize  and  tossed  it  back  into  the  river.  "  But 
I  take  off  my  hat,"  suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  "  and 
salute  the  most  bloated  aristocrat,  so  far  as  a  lengthy  pedi- 
gree is  concerned,  I  have  ever  seen  or  heard  of." 

All  laughed  at  Burton's  apostrophe  to  the  worthless  fish, 
and  Carlos  said :  "  There  's  one  thing  I  forgot  to  tell 
you  about  the  garpike :  it 's  a  sign  that  you  '11  have  good 


BETTING   THE    TROT-LINE  85 

luck  in  angling  now,  for  good  fish  always  come  to  you 
after  you  've  hooked  one  of  these  fellows ;  at  least,  that 's 
what  the  old  mountaineers  say,  so  Dad  has  told  us  boys." 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Burton  as  he  re-baited  his  hook  and 
cast  his  line  in  again,  "  I  have  always  been  a  little  super- 
stitious myself ;  believe  in  some  of  the  omens1  and  auguries2 
that  have  come  down  to  us  from  the  Dark  Ages,  so  I 
shall  expect  to  haul  up  a  big  cat  next  time  I  get  a  bite." 
He  then  subsided  again  into  passive  indifference  to  every- 
thing around  him  excepting  his  cork  float,  upon  which  he 
fastened  his  eyes  as  intently  as  a  snake  does  when  it  is 
after  a  bird. 

The  excitement  ended  caused  by  the  little  episode  of 
Burton's  hooking 'the  garpike,  Carlos,  Pierre  and  Sum- 
merfield  went  to  work  in  real  earnest  to  set  their  trot-line. 
Unwinding  it  carefully,  one  end  was  fastened  to  a  stout 
bush  that  grew  on  the  bank,  and  the  other  carried  across 
the  river  by  Summerfield  and  Pierre,  while  Carlos  kept  in 
their  rear  to  properly  adjust  the  hooks  as  they  dropped  one 
by  one  into  the  water. 

The  boys  had  to  take  off  their  clothes  while  fixing  the 
line  and  wade  through  the  stream,  which  so  varied  in  depth 
that  sometimes  they  were  in  only  to  their  ankles,  and  then 
up  to  their  necks,  when  they  reached  the  dark  eddy  at  the 
opposite  bank. 

In  less  than  an  hour   after  they  had  commenced  to 

1  Omens,  signs  of  good  or  evil  to  come.  • 

*  Auguries,  prophecies  of  future  events. 


86  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

stretch  their  trot-line  across,  it  was  secured  and  ready  for 
the  reception  of  any  fish  that  might  be  allured  by  its  tempt- 
ing bait.  Then,  having  nothing  to  do  but  wait  for  results, 
Carlos,  glancing  at  the  sun,  remarked :  "  Fellows,  it 's  a 
little  after  noon ;  had  n't  we  better  attack  that  lunch  ? " 

Summerfield  replied :  "  Good !  I  'm  famishing  already ; 
this  outdoor  life  gives  me  the  appetite  of  one  of  your 
moles,  which  I  think  you  said  would  soon  starve  to  death 
if  not  fed  pretty  often." 

"  How  is  it  with  you,  Burton  ?  "  sang  out  Pierre  across 
the  water  to  the  "  lone  fisherman  "  still  absorbed  in  watch- 
ing that  motionless  float ;  "  do  you  want  something  to 
eat?" 

Burton  upon  hearing  his  name  called,  suddenly  returned 
to  his  normal  state  of  mind,  and  straightening  himself 
out,  replied,  "Yes,  I'm  as  hungry  as  a  wolf!" 

"  All  right,"  responded  Pierre ;  "  we  're  coming  over 
to  your  side  of  the  river.  Stick  the  end  of  your  rod  in  the 
ground — it  can't  get  away — and  join  us  at  the  foot  of  the 
tree  below  where  the  trot-line  is  fastened." 

In  a  few  moments  they  were  all  sitting  on  the  grass  at 
the  foot  of  one  of  the  big  cottonwoods.  The  jug  of  milk, 
which  until  then  had  been  immersed  in  the  cold  water  of 
the  eddy  under  the  bank,  the  biscuit  and  the  plum  jam, 
together  with  a  tin  cup,  were  before  them. 

Courtesy  demanded  that  as  only  one  cup  had  been 
brought  from  the  ranch,  their  guests  should  drink  first; 
so  Pierre,  pouring  out  some  of  the  milk,  passed  it  to  Sum- 


PRAIRIE    GROUSE  87 

merfield,  the  eldest  of  the  party,  who,  understanding  the 
politeness  which  dictated  that  he  must  take  the  initiative, 
bowed  to  Pierre,  and  without  any  fuss  drained  the  cup. 
Then  Burton  came  in  for  second,  and  so  on,  by  turns ;  all 
the  milk  was  soon  consumed,  and  each  one  took  his  por- 
tion of  the  biscuit,  spread  on  the  jam  with  his  pocket- 
knife,  and  in  a  few  moments  not  even  the  wreck  of  what 
they  had  brought  along  to  eat  was  left. 

Summerfield  and  Burton  had  just  lighted  their  pipes  to 
indulge  in  their  postprandial  smoke,  when  a  loud  whirring 
noise  greeted  the  ears  of  the  group,  and  a  flock  of  large 
birds  flew  swiftly  by  a  few  feet  above  them. 

"  What  are  those  ?  "  inquired  Summerfield  as  he  with- 
drew the  pipe  from  his  lips  to  ask  the  question. 

"  Prairie  Grouse,  commonly  called  Prairie  Chickens," 
replied  Pierre,  as  he  cast  his  eyes  toward  them  to  assure 
himself  before  he  answered  the  question.  "  They  are  the 
finest  birds  we  have  out  here,"  continued  he,  "  always 
excepting  the  wild  turkey." 

"  Do  they  stay  with  you  all  the  time,  or  do  they  mi- 
grate in  the  fall  ?  "  asked  Burton. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Pierre,  "  all  the  year  round.  They 
live  on  the  open  prairie  during  the  summer,  and  in  the 
winter  they  go  into  the  timber,  and  when  the  snow  is 
deep  and  the  weather  cold  they  hide  and  roost  underneath 
the  drifts." 

"  What  do  they  live  on  ?  "  inquired  Burton. 

"  Mostly  on  grasshoppers,  seeds,  buds,  blossoms  of  the 


THE    DELAHOYDE8 

many  varieties  of  wild  flowers  we  have  here,  berries,  and 
nearly  anything  that  conies  handy,"  answered  Pierre. 

''  They  ''re  splendid  eating  too,"  said  Carlos ;  "  and  they 
build  their  nests  in  tufts  of  grass  under  some  low  bush, 
into  which  they  work  their  body,  line  the  hollow  they 
thus  make  with  a  few  blades  of  the  grass,  and  lay  from 
six  to  thirteen  eggs ;  I  once  found  fifteen  in  one  nest.  The 
color  of  their  eggs  is  light  clay  to  brown;  very  often  per- 
fectly plain,  but  generally  speckled  with  fine  dottings  of 
dark  brown,  and  in  shape  more  pointed  than  oval." 

"  They  have  several  different  notes,"  continued  Pierre ; 
"  one  very  much  like  a  wild  turkey,  and  I  have  often  been 
fooled  by  it.  It 's  awful  fun  to  watch  a  flock  in  the  spring 
when  they  are  breeding;  then  they  are  very  tame  and  you 
can  get  quite  close  to  them,  and  if  you  keep  perfectly  quiet, 
can  observe  for  an  hour  or  more  at  a  time  all  their  queer 
cuttings-up.  They  usually  get  together  on  some  ridge  of 
the  prairie,  or  little  hill,  always  about  sunrise,  when  the 
cocks  begin  to  dance  around  in  a  circle,  facing  each  other 
with  their  heads  lowered,  their  feathers  all  ruffled  up,  like 
a  fighting  rooster,  and  strut  around  as  if  challenging  some 
of  the  number  to  battle;  but  they  rarely  quarrel.  Their 
meetings  and  dances  are  almost  as  funny  as  those  of  the 
sandhill  cranes,  and  are  kept  up  every  day  until  the  hens 
are  through  laying  and  commence  to  sit." 

"  They  are  most  wonderfully  careful  and  attentive 
mothers,  too,"  said  Carlos,  "  and  will  pretend  to  be  dread- 
fully lame  when  you  come  near  one  with  her  little  ones 


FISH    STOLEN   BY   OTTERS  89 

hidden  in  the  grass.  She  will  flutter  along  the  ground,  as 
if  it  were  impossible  for  her  to  fly,  to  draw  you  away  from 
her  chickens,  almost  let  you  catch  her,  until  she  believes 
they  are  safe  out  of  your  reach,  when  with  a  whirr !  away 
she  goes,  and  you  are  left  alone !  " 

By  the  time  this  dissertation  about  the  prairie  grouse 
had  ended,  Summerfield  and  Burton  having  finished  smok- 
ing their  pipes,  the  latter  asked  the  boys  how  long  they 
bad  been  in  the  habit  of  fishing  with  a  trot-line. 

Pierre  spoke  up,  and  replied :  "  Ever  since  we  have 
been  old  enough  to  go  fishing  alone;  about  seven  years 
ago;  after  we  had  lived  on  the  ranch  four.  At  first  we 
had  terribly  hard  luck  on  account  of  the  otters,  which 
used  to  steal  the  fish  we  caught.  At  that  time  we  always 
set  our  lines  in  the  evening,  baiting  the  hooks  with  young 
frogs,  and  did  not  visit  them  until  the  next  morning. 
We  always  found  that  lots  of  fish  had  been  hooked,  but 
nothing  excepting  portions  of  their  heads  were  left, — the 
pesky  little  animals  had  devoured  all  the  rest.  They  got 
so  bad  that  we  had  to  give  up  fishing  with  a  trot-line,  and 
go  back  to  our  rods.  Then,  at  Dad's  suggestion,  we  turned 
our  attention  to  the  otters,  as  he  had  more  than  twenty 
traps,  although  he  had  not  made  a  business  of  trapping 
since  we  were  born." 

"  We  had  lots  of  fun  too,  catching  the  handsome  little 
beasts,  and  in  one  season  we  got  about  thirty,  the  skins  of 
which,  after  Dad  had  cured  them  properly,  we  sold  for 
a  hundred  dollars  to  Curtis  when  he  came  along." 


CO  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

"  They  ?ve  never  bothered  us  since,"  said  Carlos ;  "  the 
traps  seemed  to  have  driven  them  out  of  the  country. 
Of  course,"  continued  he,  "  once  in  a  great  while  we  see 
some,  but  very  rarely;  besides,  we  have  always  since  then 
set  our  trot-line  in  the  daytime,  and  watched  it  as  we  are 
doing  now." 

"How  about  Otters?"  said  Burton.  "I  don't  think 
I  have  ever  seen  the  animal,  although  I  am  familiar  with 
the  fur;  I  had  an  overcoat  trimmed  with  it  last  winter." 

"  Well,"  said  Pierre,  "  they  vary  greatly  in  size,  but 
will  average  three  feet  and  four  inches  long,  counting  the 
tail,  which  is  long,  and  is  more  than  a  third  of  their  whole 
length.  Their  fur  is  very  soft,  of  a  brown  color,  rather 
lighter  on  the  throat  and  breast.  It  is  made  up  of  long, 
coarse,  shining  hairs,  underneath  which  is  another  fur  of 
the  finest  quality." 

"  He  does  not  eat  anything  but  fish,"  said  Carlos,  "  and 
you  seldom  meet  him  far  from  the  water  on  that  account. 
Dad  says  that  he  has  heard  his  father  tell  how  when  he 
was  a  boy  in  Canada,  the  otters  used  to  bother  the  regular 
fishermen  by  destroying  their  nets  to  get  at  the  fish." 

"  Do  you  know  anything  about  how  they  breed,  Carl  ?  " 
asked  Suinmerfield. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Carlos ;  "  they  generally  build  a  sort  of 
nest  in  a  hole  in  the  bank  of  a  river,  or  in  the  roots  of 
some  tree  that  hangs  over  the  water.  They  have  from 
three  to  five  little  ones  at  a  time,  and  they  are  usually  born 
in  March  or  early  in  April." 


BURTON  CATCHES  A  TURTLE  91 

"  I  'd  like  to  see  one,"  said  Summer  field. 

"  I  don't  believe  you  ever  will  here  again,"  said  Pierre ; 
"  I  have  n't  come  across  one  for  three  years  or  more ;  I 
guess  they  've  all  cleared  out." 

Just  then,  Burton,  who  had  all  the  time  kept  an  eye 
on  that  float,  saw  it  slowly  disappear  under  the  water,  and 
the  upper  end  of  his  pole  pulled  down  close  to  the  surface 
of  the  river.  He  ran  as  fast  as  he  could  to  where  it  was, 
and  hauling  the  line  in,  saw  to  his  dismay  another  curious- 
looking  thing  dangling  at  the  hook. 

"  Well,  I  '11  be  blessed,"  exclaimed  he,  if  I  don't  have 
the  funniest  luck  in  catching  nondescripts  I1  Things  I 
never  saw  before  or  ever  heard  of;  but  I  guess  this  is  a 
turtle,  but  not  anything  like  those  we  have  in  the  East." 

"  That 's  a  Soft-shell  Turtle,"  said  Pierre,  as  Burton 
held  the  reptile  up  so  that  the  other  boys  could  get  a  good 
look  at  it ;  "  they  're  good  eating,  too,  but  are  another  of 
those  things  that  play  hob  with  a  fellow's  fishing." 

"  What  shall  I  do  with  him  ?  "  queried  Burton. 

"  Take  him  back  to  your  camp ;  I  '11  bet  that  Mexican 
cook  of  yours  knows  how  to  serve  it,"  said  Carlos  in 
answer  to  his  inquiry. 

"  What  do  you  say,  Summerfield, — shall  we  eat  it  ?  " 
asked  Burton  of  his  companion. 

"  Of  course,"  replied  Summerfield ;  "  I  'm  going  to  eat 
everything  the  natives  of  the  country  do ;  I  've  a  cast-iron 

1  Kondesoript,  something  which  cannot  be  described  or  classified. 


92  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

stomach  which  never  went  back  on  me  yet.  Take  him  to 
camp  with  us  by  all  means." 

The  strangely  shaped  creature  that  Burton  had  caught 
was  about  a  foot  in  diameter  lengthwise,  and  nearly  the 
same  transversely.  His  nose  was  as  sharp  at  the  point  as 
a  mole's,  and  his  shell  readily  yielded  to  the  pressure  of 
the  fingers. 

"  Will  he  bite  ? "  asked  Burton,  as  he  tied  a  piece  of 
cord  to  the  turtle's  hind  leg,  before  taking  the  hook  out  of 
its  mouth. 

"  Not  unless  you  plague  it,"  said  Carlos.  "  He  's  a 
sluggish  fellow,  and  won't  bother  you  if  you  don't  make 
him  angry." 

After  the  turtle  was  unhooked,  Burton  fastened  it  to 
the  limb  of  the  tree  under  which  he  had  been  fishing,  and 
the  poor  thing  hung  there,  only  moving  its  claws  slowly 
occasionally,  indicating  that  it  was  still  alive. 

"  I  guess  we  'd  better  haul  up  our  trot-line  now,"  said 
Carlos ;  "  it 's  after  four  o'clock.  Don't  you  think  so, 
Pierre  ?  "  he  asked  his  brother. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  Pierre ;  "  by  the  time  we  get  the 
fish  off  the  hooks,  if  we  've  caught  any,  and  wind  the  line 
up,  it  will  be  time  to  start  back  home." 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Burton,  as  he  began  to  unjoint  his 
rod  and  put  up  his  tackle,  "  I  don't  think  I  '11  fish  any 
more ;  I  want  to  help  you  fellows,  as  I  did  n't  do  anything 
in  putting  the  trot-line  out." 


HAULING   IN   THE    TROT-LINE  93 

"  All  right,"  said  Pierre ;  "  you  'd  better  take  off  your 
trousers,  as  we  '11  have  to  wade  in  taking  the  fish  off." 

"  Let 's  commence  at  the  opposite  end,"  said  Carlos ; 
"  then  one  of  us  can  wind  it  up  as  we  go  along ;  it  won't 
get  tangled  then,  and  when  we  get  back  to  this  side  we 
won't  have  anything  to  do  but  dress  and  start  for  the 
ranch." 

The  boys  all  stripped,  leaving  their  clothes  on  the  bank, 
Pierre  having  first  cut  a  long  willow  limb  with  the  end 
ha\7ing  a  crotch  in  it,  to  string  the  fish  on,  and  then  started 
across  the  river. 

When  they  reached  the  opposite  bank,  Carlos  and  Pierre 
stepped  out,  the  latter  untying  the  line  and  handing  the 
end  to  Carlos,  who  fastened  it  to  the  piece  of  wood  on  which 
it  was  wound  when  the  boys  brought  it  from  the  ranch.  As 
Pierre  then  lifted  yard  after  yard  of  the  line  out  of  the 
water,  Carlos  began  to  wind  up  the  slack. 

On  the  first  ten  hooks  were  six  good-sized  cats,  which 
would  average  four  pounds  each,  and  selecting  two  of  the 
best,  with  Summerfield's  and  Burton's  help,  Pierre  strung 
them  on  the  willow  wand. 

"  There  's  no  use  in  taking  home  more  than  we  can  eat 
in  two  meals,"  said  Pierre,  as  he  tossed  the  four  back  into 
the  water  again ;  "  they  won't  keep  long  in  this  hot 
weather." 

"  Will  they  live  after  you  put  them  in  the  river  again  ?  " 
asked  Burton. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  Pierre.    "  The  cat  is  the  hardest 


94  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

fish  to  kill  of  all  that  I  'm  acquainted  with.  They  don't 
mind  the  wound  of  a  hook ;  it  will  get  well  again  in  a  day 
or  two,  and  then  they  are  as  ready  to  bite  as  at  first." 

When  the  trot-line  had  been  all  taken  out  of  the  river, 
the  boys  discovered  that  they  had  caught  forty  fish,  all 
cats  excepting  half  a  dozen  of  the  aristocratic  garpike, 
which  is  always  on  hand  where  there  is  bait  put  out. 

Taking  only  eight  of  the  best  cats,  the  boys,  after  dress- 
ing, picked  up  their  traps  and  then  started  for  the 
ranch,  where  they  arrived  at  six  o'clock.  Their  progress 
had  been  much  slower  going  back  than  in  coming  out  in 
the  morning,  as  they  were  freighted  heavier,  with  the  fish, 
and  as  Burton  was  considerably  handicapped  by  his  turtle, 
which  gave  him  lots  of  trouble. 

The  fish  were  divided,  the  greater  portion  given  to  the 
Delahoydes,  as  there  were  more  mouths  to  feed,  (includ- 
ing the  dogs,  that  were  fond  of  fried  cats,)  and  two  were 
taken  to  their  camp  by  the  Bostonians  and  given  to  the 
cook  with  orders  to  serve  one  for  supper  and  the  other 
for  breakfast. 

When  they  showed  the  Mexican  the  turtle  and  asked 
him  whether  he  knew  how  to  cook  it,  he  said :  "  Yes,  you 
bet — make  good  soup !  " 

After  supper  that  evening,  Mr.  Delahoyde,  Carlos  and 
Pierre  went  down  to  Curtis's  camp  to  talk  to  the  old 
trader,  who  was  going  back  to  Fort  Harker  the  next  day, 
and  to  whom  they  wanted  to  give  some  commissions  for 
the  sutler,  as  he  intended  to  return  in  about  ten  days. 


PLANNING   FOR   THE    MORROW  95 

The  moon  shone  brightly,  and  after  the  Mexican  had 
lighted  a  smudge  to  drive  away  the  mosquitoes  which 
swarmed  rather  thickly  in  the  river-bottom  where  the 
camp  was  located,  all  the  party  gathered  in  a  small  circle 
around  it,  and  talked  of  the  adventures  of  the  day.  Then 
plans  were  formulated  for  the  remaining  time  that  Sum- 
merfield  and  Burton  intended  to  remain  on  the  ranch, 
which  would,  of  course,  be  until  Curtis  returned  from  the 
Smoky  Hill. 

"  To-morrow  will  be  Sunday,"  said  Pierre ;  "  and  as 
mother  likes  us  to  observe  the  day,  we  do  not  ever  go  fish- 
ing or  hunting,  but  stay  around  home  and  read,  whenever 
we  have  anything  to  read.  Curtis  brought  down  quite  a 
large  bundle  of  newspapers  from  Fort  Dodge  for  Dad,  so 
we  can  skim  over  them ;  and  in  the  afternoon,  if  you  and 
Summerfield,"  addressing  himself  to  Burton,  who  sat  close 
to  him,  "  would  like  to  take  a  stroll  out  on  the  prairie,  and 
through  the  timber,  we  '11  go.  Mother  does  n't  object  to 
that,  and  perhaps  you  may  see  many  things  that  are  inter- 
esting and  new  to  you.  This  is  the  time  of  year  when  the 
greatest  variety  of  birds  are  here,  and  I  know  there  are  a 
good  many  kinds  that  you  have  not  yet  come  across." 

"  That  will  just  suit  me,"  said  Burton,  "  and  you  too, — 
won't  it,  Summerfield  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Summerfield ;  "  I  should  enjoy 
such  a  walk  immensely." 

"  By  the  way,"  continued  he,  "  I  've  got  a  lot  of  maga- 
zines and  papers  in  my  grip  that  Burton  and  I  bought 


96  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

while  traveling  in  the  cars,  and  I  shall  be  delighted  to 
give  them  to  you  boys.  You  can  look  them  over  during 
the  morning,  while  Burton  and  I  write  some  letters,  as 
Mr.  Curtis  does  not  start  until  about  noon,  I  understand." 

"  You  're  right,"  said  the  old  trader,  "  I  can't  get  away 
from  here  until  then." 

"  Monday  we  '11  go  on  a  wolf-hunt  with  the  dogs,"  said 
Carlos,  "  and  Tuesday  we  must  start  early  for  the  turkey- 
roost,  which  as  I  told  you  is  about  thirty  miles  from  here. 
We  must  get  our  camp  fixed  up,  and  hunt  some  meat  to 
eat  before  we  get  at  the  turkeys ;  besides,  we  want  to  get  a 
good  rest  as  well,  for  it  will  be  a  tiresome  ride  this  hot 
weather." 

"All  right,"  said  Summerfield;  "Burton  and  I  are 
under  you  boys'  orders,  and  are  ready  to  obey  as  promptly 
as  regular  soldiers." 

The  conversation  drifted  from  one  subject  to  another, — 
the  young  Bostonians  asking  innumerable  questions  of 
Curtis,  Mr.  Delahoyde,  and  the  boys. 

In  discussing  the  various  animals  of  the  region,  Sum- 
merfield asked  Mr.  Delahoyde  which  he  regarded  as  the 
most  ferocious. 

"  Well,"  replied  he,  "  the  wolf,  if  hungry,  is  terribly 
bold ;  the  she-bear  with  cubs,  and  the  lynx :  all,  under  cer- 
tain conditions,  are  insanely  ferocious ;  but  you  know  that, 
normally,  it  is  the  habit  of  every  wild  beast  to  run  at  the 
sight  of  man.  If  you  had  asked  me  which  I  regard  as 
the  most  dangerous,  I  should  have  unhesitatingly  told  you 


MR.  DELAHOYDE'S  SKUNK  BTORY  97 

the  little  black-and-white  Skunk.  We  have  two  varieties 
out  here,  one  much  larger  than  the  other;  the  smaller  is 
to  be  dreaded,  the  bite  of  which  is  certain  death.  The 
savages  are  aware  of  the  fact,  too.  Two  or  three  of  my 
old  friends  among  the  trappers  and  hunters  have  been 
killed  by  the  apparently  insignificant  little  beast.  They 
generally  attack  one  at  night  while  asleep,  often  selecting 
the  nose  of  their  victim,  which  they  bite.  The  result  is 
hydrophobia,  and  a  most  horrible  death.  I  would  never 
allow  Carlos  and  Pierre  to  camp  out,  were  it  not  that  in 
Cyrus  and  Jupe  they  have  such  vigilant  sentinels,  which 
will  never  permit  an  animal  to  come  within  dangerous 
proximity  of  where  they  are  sleeping. 

"  Ordinarily,"  continued  he,  "  the  large  skunk  is  harm- 
less, excepting  the  dreadful  odor  he  emits  when  he  con- 
siders himself  in  danger.  The  soldiers  at  the  fort,  where 
there  are  always  large  numbers  of  the  animal  to  be  found, 
have  nicknamed  him  '  The  essence  peddler/ 

"  I  once  had  a  rather  laughable  experience  with  a  lot 
of  the  larger  variety  a  few  years  ago.  I  was  going  on 
horseback  across  the  country  from  the  Arkansas  to  the 
Smoky  Hill  river,  and  after  I  had  proceeded  about  twenty 
miles,  one  of  those  terrible  blizzards  characteristic  of  the 
Great  Plains  region  in  the  fall,  came  down  from  the  north 
in  all  its  fury.  It  was  night  when  I  started  from  the 
Arkansas,  and  when  the  storm  commenced  it  grew  so  in- 
tensely cold  in  a  few  minutes,  and  the  snow  was  so  blind- 
ing, that  I  could  hardly  urge  my  horse  to  move  at  all.  I 
—  7 


98  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

knew  that  I  was  not  far  from  a  rude  stone  shelter,  which 
had  been  erected  by  buffalo  hunters  as  a  place  of  refuge 
in  case  of  just  such  storms,  and  fortunately  I  reached  it 
before  I  was  frozen  or  my  animal  absolutely  refused  to 
go, —  which  he  would  have  done  in  a  little  while.  It  was 
a  square  structure  with  a  dirt  roof,  and  had  a  large  fire- 
place in  the  one  room,  as  a  creek  well  timbered  ran  but  a 
short  distance  away,  so  fuel  was  comparatively  handy. 

"  Well,  when  I  had  turned  my  horse  loose  at  the  south 
side  of  the  building  (I  knew  that  he  would  not  run  off), 
I  entered,  and  found  ten  hunters  already  there,  who  like 
myself  had  been  caught  in  the  blizzard,  and  they  already 
had  a  roaring  fire  blazing  on  the  hearth.  I  soon 
thawed  out,  and  hoping  to  get  a  little  sleep,  laid  down 
with  the  others  on  the  dirt  floor.  Near  the  fireplace  in 
the  wall  were  two  or  three  great  holes,  and  presently 
through  them  marched  five  skunks,  with  tails  erect  ready 
for  action,  evidently  attracted  by  the  warmth  and  blaze. 
They  walked  deliberately  all  over  us,  smelling  our  heads, 
but  offered  no  violence,  and  we  did  not  dare  move,  fearing 
a  hostile  demonstration  on  their  part ;  so  eleven  men  were 
held  at  bay  by  five  little  animals  they  could  easily  have 
killed  with  their  hands  alone.  It  cleared  off  about  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning, — those  blizzards  hardly  ever  last 
long, — and  as  soon  as  it  was  daylight  the  skunks  departed 
through  the  same  holes  by  which  they  had  entered,  and  we 
men  left  shortly  after,  laughing  over  our  ridiculous  ad- 
venture." 


TURNING   IN    FOR   THE    NIGHF  99 

When  Mr.  Delahoyde  had  ended  his  story,  the  party 
broke  up;  the  Bostonians  went  to  their  tent  and  Mr.  Del- 
ahoyde and  his  sons  to  the  dugout,  as  it  was  now  after 
nine  o'clock,  a  much  later  hour  than  they  had  kept  for 
months. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SUNDAY     AT     THE     RANCH. SUMMERFIELD     AND     BURTON 

DISCOURSE     UPON    A    SABBATH     IN     THE     FAR    WEST. A 

WALK     OUT     ON     THE     PRAIRIE. THE     WILD     FLOWERS. 

CYRUS     AND     JUPE     KILL     A     GRAY     WOLF. PRAIRIE 

DOGS   AND   THE    BURROWING   OWL. THE    OLD   SANTA    FE 

TRAIL. STORIES    OF    ADVENTURE    TOLD    BY    MR.    DELA- 

HOYDE. 

SUMMERFIELD  and  Burton  were  out  of  their 
blankets  at  the  first  indication  of  dawn;  both  of 
them  intending  to  take  a  bath  in  the  pool  at  the 
willows  under  the  bluff  behind  the  dwelling  of  their  newly 
found  friends,  the  Delahoydes.  After  dressing  lightly 
for  the  purpose,  Burton  woke  up  the  cook  and  told  him  to 
have  breakfast  ready  by  the  time  they  had  returned,  which 
would  not  be  more  than  half  an  hour.  Summerfield  then 
opened  his  grip  and  took  out  a  large  bundle  of  maga- 
zines and  papers  which  he-  had  promised  Pierre  and 
Carlos  he  would  bring  with  him. 

Both  .of  the  young  Bostonians  were  charmed  with  the 
wilderness  and  solitude  of  their  surroundings,  and  as 
they  walked  slowly  through  the  timber  toward  the  dugout, 
began  to  philosophize. 

Summerfield  remarked  to  his  companion,  as  the  de- 
liciousness  of  the  coming  morning  influenced  his  feelings : 
"Although  there  cannot  possibly  be  any  difference  between 
one  day  and  another  out  here  in  the  wilderness,  where 

(100) 


SUNDAY   AT   THE    RANCH  101 

there  is  nothing  to  mark  the  passing  of  the  week  like  the 
relative  quiet  of  the  Sabbath  by  the  cessation  of  all  secular 
industries,  as  in  our  crowded  civilization  back  East,  still 
I  feel  a  change  when  Sunday  comes  around.  How  is  it 
with  you,  Burton  ?  " 

"  I  seem  to  catch  the  inspiration  too,"  replied  Burton ; 
"  suppose  it  is  because  on  each  recurring  Sunday  our 
thoughts  are  attuned  to  the  legendary  holiness  of  the  time 
by  our  orthodox  New  England  education.  We  should 
probably  feel  the  pressure  of  the  same  obligation  to  hold 
it  sacred  wherever  we  chanced  to  be." 

"  Maybe  heredity  has  something  to  do  with  it,"  said 
Summerfield ;  "  but  every  Sunday  I  have  passed  out  West 
seems  to  have  been  endued  with  a  holier  atmosphere ;  even 
the  birds  appear  to  sing  more  sweetly;  from  the  flowers 
are  wafted  on  the  breeze  a  sweeter  fragrance,  and  all  Na- 
ture is  touched  with  an  exquisite  calmness  that  is  spiritual 
in  its  influence." 

"  I  think  that  our  closer  communion  with  Nature,  such 
as  we  are  having  out  here,  and  which  never  fell  to  my 
experience  before,  may  be  the  cause  of  our  better  feelings 
predominating;  the  soul's  best  inspirations  coming  to  the 
surface,"  said  Burton. 

"  Perhaps  that 's  it,"  answered  Summerfield.  "  You 
know  that  the  old  Ascetics1  declared  that  when  they  hid 
themselves  from  the  crowd,  subordinated  the  flesh  to  the 
spirit,  and  communed  with  Nature,  they  had  visions,  glo- 

1  Ascetic,  a  person  retired  from  the  world,  engaged  in  religious  devotion;  who 
spends  his  time  in  meditation  upon  holy  objects. 


102  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

rious  visions  of  the  alleged  beyond ;  and  from  those  dreams 
have  come  down  to  us  through  the  ages,  all  the  great  relig- 
ions of  the  world." 

"  Well,  it 's  too  deep  a  problem  for  me,"  said  Burton. 
"  I  only  know  that  I  experience  the  same  feelings  you 
do  on  the  recurrence  of  each  Sabbath  out  here,  but  I  can- 
not fathom  the  depth  of  the  arguments  you  have  presented 
to  account  for  them.  I  was  never  considered  much  of  a 
logician  at  Harvard,  anyhow." 

When  they  arrived  at  the  dugout,  both  were  rather  sur- 
prised to  find  Pierre  and  Carlos  were  already  up  and  at- 
tending to  the  wants  of  their  ponies. 

As  Carlos  saw  his  young  friends  approaching,  he 
walked  toward  them,  and  to  whom,  after  the  conventional 
salutations,  Summerfield  handed  his  bundle  of  papers,  for 
which  Carlos  thanked  him,  remarking,  "I  guess  Pierre 
and  I  can  put  in  a  good  morning  now  at  reading." 

Summerfield  told  him  that  he  and  Burton  were  going 
to  take  a  bath,  hurry  back  to  camp  for  breakfast,  then  put 
in  all  the  time  they  could  in  writing,  as  they  had  many 
friends  with  whom  they  corresponded,  but  who  had  been 
sadly  neglected,  and  it  would  take  every  moment  of  the 
time  to  get  through  by  the  time  Curtis  should  be  ready 
to  leave  for  the  Fort. 

Burton  said  to  Carl :  "  I  wish  that  when  you  are 
ready  for  our  proposed  stroll  this  afternoon,  you  and 
Pierre  would  kindly  come  down  to  camp,  and  all  start 
from  there." 


WILD  FLOWERS  103 

"  Most  certainly,"  said  Carlos.  "  We  '11  be  there  about 
two  o'clock ;  that 's  early  enough ;  it  will  give  us  good  four 
hours,  and  that  will  be  all  we  shall  want,  for  we  '11  be  tired 
out  then.  We  're  going  out  on  the  prairie  from  your  side 
of  the  timber  anyhow,  so  by  coming  down  there  we  '11 
save  time." 

It  was  a  perfect  afternoon  when  at  the  appointed  hour 
suggested  by  Carlos  in  the  morning,  the  boys,  armed  with 
their  rifles,  assembled  at  the  little  camp  in  the  timber  on  the 
river-bottom,  and  in  a  few  moments  started  for  the  open 
prairie  a  mile  beyond  the  edge  of  the  woods. 

There  was  just  enough  breeze  blowing  from  the  south 
to  gently  move  the  treetops,  and  the  air  was  redolent  with 
the  perfume  of  a  hundred  varieties  of  wild  flowers,  con- 
spicuous among  which  were  the  melon  cactus  with  its 
crimson  blossoms,  and  its  companion  the  broad-leafed 
species,  with  its  beautiful  lemon-colored  crown, — all  now 
at  the  height  of  their  unfolding ;  the  blue  and  white  anem- 
ones, the  sensitive  and  thorny  rose,  and  that  most  won- 
derful of  all  the  flora  of  the  remote  Western  Plains,  the 
compass-plant,1  one  edge  of  whose  leaves  is  invariably 
turned  toward  the  North  Pole.  It  growrs  on  the  highest 
points,  never  in  the  bottoms,  and  is  a  certain  guide  to  the 
lost  traveler,  when  the  heavens  are  cloudy. 

"  How  true  that  saying  of  Grey's  is,"  remarked  Sum- 
merfield,  as  he  walked  along  and  contemplated  the  beau- 

1  Compass-plant,  a  coarse  herb  growing  plentifully  throughout  the  West,  and  well 
known  under  the  name  of  "rosin-weed."  It  exudes  a  resinous  juice,  which,  when  dry, 
la  gathered  from  the  stalks  by  children  and  used  as  chewing-gum. 


104  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

tiful  blossoms  the  party  were  constantly  crushing  under 
llieir  feet: 

"  Full  many  a  flower  is  born  to  blush  unseen, 
And  waste  its  sweetness  on  the  desert  air." 

"  That  Elegy  is  Dad's  favorite  poem,"  said  Carlos,  as 
Summerfield  finished  the  quotation  from  it;  "he  often 
repeats  the  whole  of  it  when  he  and  we  boys  are  out  on 
a  tramp  or  hunt  together." 

Soon  they  arrived  at  the  base  of  a  little  divide,  separat- 
ing two  ravines,  on  the  crest  of  which  Summerfield  first 
saw  an  animal,  slowly  pacing  backward  and  forward,  evi- 
dently watching  the  aproach  of  the  party. 

"What  is  that,  Pierre,— a  wolf?"  he  said,  as  he 
pointed  with  his  rifle  to  the  object. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  responded  Pierre,  "  and  a  great  big 
gray  one  too, — one  of  the  wickedest  of  the  whole  wolf 
species." 

As  they  neiared  him,  Burton  wanted  to  try  to  shoot 
him,  but  Pierre  restrained  him,  saying :  "  I  '11  show  you 
more  fun  than  that.  He  does  n't  see  the  dogs  yet." 

Cyrus  and  Jupe  were  behind  the  party,  close  to  their 
legs,  which  completely  masked  them. 

"  Pick  up  a  stone  and  throw  at  him,  Summerfield,  and 
let 's  see  what  he  '11  do  ?  " 

Suinmerfield  picked  up  a  good-sized  stone  and  threw  it 
quite  accurately  toward  the  wolf, — in  fact,  it  struck  the 
ground  within  five  feet  of  the  animal, — upon  which  he 
turned  sharply  around,  sat  down  on  his  haunches,  facing 


DOGS   KILL  A   GRAY  WOLF  105 

the  boys,  and  raising  his  upper  lip,  showed  two  rows  of 
great  white  fangs. 

"  So !  So !  That 's  your  game,  is  it  ?  You  want  to 
fight,  do  you?  Well,  you  shall  have  all  you  want,"  said 
Pierre,  as  he  clapped  his  hands  together,  and  yelled  at  the 
top  of  his  voice,  "  Sic  'em,  Cyrus !  Sic  'em,  Jupe !  " — 
and  in  an  instant  the  dogs  were  after  him. 

The  wolf  started  the  moment  he  saw  Cyrus  and  Jupe, 
but  they  were  too  close  to  him,  and  were  upon  his  neck 
before  he  was  aware  of  it,  and  there  was  a  grand  shock  as 
they  came  together.  In  a  moment  the  very  air  was  filled 
with  dust,  hair,  and  the  most  awful  growling  and  snarling 
imaginable.  However,  the  battle  was  of  short  duration, 
and  as  the  dust  subsided,  the  wolf  was  discovered  to  be 
dead.  But  Cyrus  and  Jupe  had  not  escaped  unscathed; 
they  had  two  or  three  long  gashes  in  their  bodies,  made 
by  the  terrible  fangs  of  their  antagonist.  Carlos  and 
Pierre  examined  the  wounds,  and  declared  they  were  not 
at  all  dangerous ;  the  dogs  had  come  out  of  many  a  tussle 
worse  than  that. 

"  Are  you  going  to  take  his  hide  off  ? "  asked  Burton 
of  Carlos. 

"  No.  It 's  not  worth  anything  at  this  time  of  the 
year,"  replied  Carlos ;  "  besides,  it 's  all  torn  in  strips 
where  Cyrus  and  Jupe  got  in  their  work.  We  '11  let  him 
stay  where  he  is, — the  Buzzards  will  soon  eat  him  up." 

"Yes,"  said  Pierre,  you  can  see  'em  already,  sailing  up 


106  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

in  the  air.  It 's  odd  how  those  "birds  can  so  quickly  tell 
an  animal  is  dead." 

"  They  will  be  down  on  his  carcass  the  moment  we  are 
out  of  sight,"  continued  Pierre,  "  and  in  less  than  an 
hour  the.re  won't  be  anything  left  of  him  but  his  bones." 

"  Yes,"  said  Burton,  "  I  know  that  bird  very  well.  It 
is  properly  a  vulture,  and  in  some  of  the  cities  down  South 
where  I  have  visited,  they  run  in  the  streets  and  are  the 
only  scavengers  there.  They  eat  all  kinds  of  filth  and 
carrion.  Xo  one  is  allowed  to  shoot  them,  either.  I  sup- 
pose they  breed  out  here  ? " 

"  1  have  often  found  their  nests,"  said  Carlos  in  answer 
to  Burton's  question.  "  They  are  on  the  ledges  of  the 
bluffs  generally,  but  sometimes  in  hollow  trees  and  stumps. 
There  is  no  building  about  them ;  they  lay  their  eggs,  two 
of  them,  on  the  bare  rocks.  The  eggs  are  a  sort  of  grayisli 
white,  Spotted  with  brown." 

"  The  only  note  they  have,"  said  Pierre,  "  is  a  hiss ; 
and  they  are  the  biggest  cowards  of  all  the  birds  I  know, — 
they  won't  even  fight  when  you  catch  one,  only  stamp  their 
feet  a  little." 

The  boys  continued  their  walk  along  the  edge  of  the 
woods  so  as  to  get  into  the  shade  of  the  trees  occasionally, 
for  it  had  grown  warm  since  they  left  camp,  and  the  tim- 
ber shut  off  the  breeze  in  a  measure. 

Presently  they  reached  the  confines  of  an  immense 
Prairie  Dog  village,  covering  hundreds  of  acres.  The 
little  animals  were  sitting  at  the  edge  of  their  holes,  bark- 


PRAIRIE    DOGS  107 

ing  vociferously  as  the  boys  approached,  but  soon  turned 
tail  and  disappeared,  while  the  solemn  diminutive  owls 
stood  their  ground,  winking  and  blinking  in  the  sunlight, 
hardly  moving  from  their  places  on  the  burrows. 

"  What  cunning  things  those  prairie  dogs  are !  "  said 
Summerfield.  "  We  saw  hundreds  of  their  villages  on 
our  trip  to  the  Wichita  Mountains,  and  tried  to  shoot  one, 
but  never  succeeded.  They  always  ran  down  their  holes, 
even  after  I  knew  that  I  had  hit  'em." 

"They're  awful  hard  things  to  kill,"  said  Pierre. 
"  The  only  way  to  get  them  is  to  lay  in  the  grass  where 
they  can't  see  you,  and  when  they  are  running  from  one 
burrow  to  another  shoot  them,  so  they  will  die  before  they 
can  reach  one.  I  've  killed  lots  of  them  that  way." 

"They  are  good  eating,  too,"  said  Carlos  ;  "  taste  just 
like  a  squirrel,  which  I  think  they  really  are.  We  had 
several  of  them  for  pets;  they  became  very  tame,  and 
would  follow  us  around  like  a  dog." 

"  What  became  of  them  ?  "  asked  Burton.  "  I  did  not 
see  any  of  them  when  you  showed  us  your  pets." 

"  ISTo,  they  all  died  from  some  cause  we  could  not  tell. 
We  kept  them  for  over  two  years;  they  made  a  burrow 
just  in  front  of  the  dugout  and  would  run  in  and  out  of 
it  and  right  into  the  house,  and  cuddle  at  mother's  feet 
until  she  gave  them  some  milk,  of  whiph  they  were  very 
fond." 

"  They  can  be  caught,"  said  Pierre,  "  in  two  ways. 
One  is  to  drown  them  out  of  their  holes,  if  you  can  get 


103  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

at  the  water  handily.  Another  is  to  take  a  barrel  with 
both  heads  out,  put  it  over  their  hole,  and  keep  filling  sand 
in  the  barrel  until  the  dogs  come  up.  You  see,  as  the  loose 
sand  fills  the  hole  they  have  to  push  it  behind  them  all  the 
time,  and  the  first  thing  they  know  they  are  on  top  and 
in  the  barrel,  and  you  can  then  get  them  easily.  But  they 
bite  like  fury,  though  soon  get  used  to  you.  That 's  the 
way  Carl  and  I  caught  ours." 

"  It 's  funny  that  you  most  always  see  one  of  those 
little  Owls  on  the  top  of  a  burrow,"  said  Summerfield; 
"  they  must  live  happily  together." 

"Yes,"  said  Pierre;  "but  the  owl  lives  in  other  holes 
besides  those  of  the  prairie  dog.  I  have  seen  them  in 
badger-holes,  fox-holes,  and  even  in  the  dens  of  wolves." 

"Sometimes  they  make  burrows  of  their  own,"  said 
Carlos ;  "  and  they  don't  seem,  like  other  owls,  to  mind 
the  sun.  You  see,"  he  continued,  as  he  pointed  to  some 
sitting  at  the  edge  of  the  dog-holes,  "  they  look  right  at 
you  without  blinking.  All  the  other  varieties  of  owls 
come  out  at  night  only,  while  these  little  fellows  are  seen 
at  all  times  of  the  day.  They  have  the  dirtiest  nests  you 
ever  saw:  full  of  rotten  bits  of  animals  they  have  killed 
for  food  for  their  little  ones,  and  swarming  with  lice. 
They  lay  several  eggs,  and  after  the  young  ones  are  ready 
to  leave  the  nest  you  sometimes  see  six  or  seven  of  them 
sitting  with  their  mother  at  the  holes." 

"  They  say  that  the  rattlesnake  also  lives  with  the  owl 


THE  OLD  SANTA  FE  TRAIL  109 

and  prairie-Jog  in  the  same  hole :  is  that  so,  Carl  ? "  in- 
quired Suimnerfield. 

x   "  No.     The  snakes  do  live  in  the  dog-holes  frequently, 
but  it  is  after  they  have  killed  the  little  dogs,"  said  Carlos. 

When  they  had  stopped  at  the  prairie-dog  village  for 
more  than  an  hour,  they  concluded  to  go  back  to  the  river, 
as  it  was  very  hot  and  they  were  all  tired  of  walking. 
The  Delahoyde  boys  were  not  much  used  to  traveling  on 
foot,  as  they  usually  rode  their  ponies  even  for  the  short- 
est distances;  so  they  were  more  fatigued  than  Summer- 
field  or  Burton,  who  had  made  a  practice  of  taking  long 
strolls  through  the  country  at  home,  and  out  on  the  Ar- 
kansas had  kept  it  up,  in  a  measure,  at  least. 

Pierre  and  Carlos  rested  at  the  camp  of  the  Bosto- 
nians  a  little  while,  and  then  went  to  their  own  home,  after 
exacting  a  promise  from  them  that  they  would  visit  at 
the  dugout  in  the  evening. 

After  supper,  just  at  dusk,  Summerfield  and  Burton 
walked  over  to  the  Delahoydes,  and  found  the  family  sit- 
ting on  the  natural  lawn  before  their  dwelling.  They 
seated  themselves,  too,  and  Summerfield  asked  Mr.  Dela- 
hoyde to  tell  something  of  the  "  Old  Santa  Fe  Trail,"  as 
he  had  been  watching  the  stage-coach  go  by  and  long  lines 
of  wagons  on  the  broad  road  which  ran  near  their  camp. 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Delahoyde,  "  it  has  been  a  '  line  of 
way '  for  many  hundred  years.  The  Spanish  explorers 
were  the  first  Europeans  to  travel  it,  but  it  had  been  used 


110  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

by  the  Indians  of  the  Plains  and  the  far  North  for  cen- 
turies before  that,  probably,  because  history  records  the 
fact  of  those  tribes  going  over  it  to  New  Mexico  and 
farther  south,  to  exchange  their  furs  for  the  shells,  feath- 
ers, and  other  things  only  to  be  found  in  those  tropical 
regions. 

"  Cabeca  de  Vaca,  one  of  the  noblemen  who  came  to 
this  country  with  Cortez,  was,  it  is  believed  by  historians, 
the  first  white  man  who  traveled  it.  He  was  followed  by 
Francisco  Vasquez  de  Coronado,  another  of  Cortez'  ad- 
herents, in  their  search  of  cities  which  were  said  to  be 
filled  with  gold  and  precious  stones.  Coronado  traveled 
it  about  six  years  after  Cabeca,  in  the  year  1535.1 

"  Several  expeditions  by  the  intrepid  Spaniards  were 
sent  over  the  old  trail,  all  of  which  had  for  their  object 
the  search  of  precious  metals,  concerning  which  ridiculous 
stories  had  been  poured  into  the  ears  of  the  too-credulous 
explorers,  who  were  ready  to  believe  anything  the  natives 
of  Mexico  told  them. 

"  It  did  not  become  a  much-used  road  until  the  trade 
opened  up  with  far-off  Santa  Fe,  in  New  Mexico,  about 
the  year  1812.  To  be  sure,  numbers  of  old  trappers 
traveled  it  for  many  decades  previously,  hunting  for  the 
animals  whose  skins  were  valuable;  but  the  date  I  have 
mentioned  was  the  time  that  a  regular  traffic  commenced, 
since  which  it  has  grown  into  importance ;  aggregating  for 
years  many  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars. 

1  For  a  history  of  this  great  "  highway,"  see  my  "  Old  Santa  Fe  Trail. »» 


THE  OLD  SANTA  FE  TRAIL  111 

"  The  long  lines  of  wagons,  of  which  you  spoke,"  ad- 
dressing himself  to  Summerfield,  "  are  called  caravans, 
hut  at  first  only  pack-mules  were  employed.  Occasionally 
you  may  see  them  yet,  as  the  Mexicans  are  loth  to  abandon 
the  customs  which  they  have  been  used  to  for  so  long. 

"  In  1849,  after  the  conclusion  of  the  war  with  Mexico, 
and  we  obtained  possession  of  that  country  by  treaty, 
stage-coaches  were  employed  to  carry  the  mail  and  pass- 
engers from  the  Missouri  river  to  Santa  Fe.  They  con- 
tinue to  run  daily;  you  have  seen  some  of  them.  But 
we  shall  soon  have  a  railroad,  as  the  survey  has  already 
been  commenced,  and  the  days  of  caravans  and  coaches 
will  have  passed  away  forever. 

"  The  old  trail  is  one  of  the  most  historic  places  on  the 
continent,  and  I  advise  you  to  read  as  much  about  it  as  you 
can.  It  is  full  of  thrilling  stories  of  battles  with  the  sav- 
ages, and  of  hairbreadth  escapes.  It  would  take  a  month 
to  relate  even  a  portion  of  them." 

Thanking  Mr.  Delahoyde  for  his  interesting  facts  about 
the  old  trail,  Summerfield  asked  him  to  relate  some  of  his 
early  experiences  on  the  frontier. 

"Dad,  tell  them  that  story  about  your  tussle  with  a 
California  Lion,"  said  Pierre. 

"  Well,  that  was  a  good  many  years  ago,"  said  Mr. 
Delahoyde, — long  before  you  boys  were  born ;  but  if  these 
young  men  think  it  will  amuse  them  I  shall  be  happy  to 
tell  it." 

"  Do  please,"  said  Summerfield  and  Burton  simultan- 


112  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

eously;  the  latter  adding,  "  There  is  nothing  so  entertain- 
ing to  me  as  stories  of  adventures  of  the  pioneers  in  this 
wild  country." 

"  It  was  after  I  had  returned  from  school  in  St.  Louis," 
began  Mr.  Delahoyde,  "  and  I  was  about  twenty-three 
years  old.  I  had  been  on  many  a  trapping  expedition  with 
my  father  (whom  you  have  been  told  was  one  of  the  ear- 
liest employes  of  the  American  Fur  Companies)  before  I 
went  to  get  my  education,  and  was  as  well  posted  in  re- 
gard to  the  various  fur-bearing  animals,  the  manner  of 
trapping  and  curing  their  skins,  as  any  young  man  of  my 
age. 

"  I  thought  I  would  continue  in  the  same  business  as 
my  father,  because  I  liked  the  wild  life,  and  besides,  it 
paid  well  in  those  days. 

"  One  winter  I  was  trapping  on  Frenchman's  creek,  with 
a  partner  named  Foote.  He  was  a  Scotchman,  but  much 
older  than  I,  and  had  been  on  the  frontier  then  for  more 
than  twenty  years.  He  was  a  fine  shot,  and  as  good  a 
trapper. 

"  We  took  turns  at  cooking  and  attending  the  traps, 
which  were  scattered  all  along  the  stream  for  more  than 
six  miles,  and  it  was  no  easy  job  for  a  man  to  look  after 
so  many  traps. 

"  I  had  finished  my  work,  and  was  strolling  along  care- 
lessly through  a  bunch  of  thick  underbrush,  when  the 
first  thing  I  knew  I  heard  a  '  spit '  and  a  low  growl,  and 
looking  to  where  the  sound  had  come  from  I  saw  not  five 


ENCOUNTER   WITH   A   CALIFORNIA   LION  113 

feet  from  me  a  California  lion  with  three  little  cats  about 
six  wrecks  old. 

"  IS'ow  you  must  know  that  the  animal  is  not  a  lion  at 
all,  but  really  the  American  Cougar.  He  does  not  resem- 
ble in  any  manner  his  African  namesake,  excepting  in 
color.  Once  they  were  common  all  over  the  East,  from 
Canada  westward.  I  have  often  heard  my  father  say  that 
he  had  killed  them  when  a  young  man  as  far  toward  the 
seacoast  as  in  the  woods  of  Quebec.  There  they  were 
called  (  painters/  a  corruption  of  panther.  Their  prin- 
cipal prey  is  deer,  and  they  seldom  leave  the  timber,  but 
prefer  the  woods,  where,  crouching  on  the  lower  limb  of  a 
tree,  they  watch  until  a  deer  comes  along,  then  pounce 
upon  him. 

"  The  animal  was  just  getting  ready  to  spring  upon 
me  when  I  discovered  her,  and  before  I  could  get  my  rifle 
fairly  to  my  shoulder  she  made  a  leap  for  me ;  so,  without 
taking  any  aim,  I  pulled  the  trigger.  The  ball  hit  her  on 
the  side  of  the  head,  but  glanced  off,  doing  her  no  injury 
excepting  to  make  her  madder  than  ever. 

"  I  could  see  her  eyes  gleam  like  a  flash  of  lightning  on  a 
dark  night,  and  she  showed  her  great  white  teeth  like  a 
mountain-wolf  wrhen  he  is  out  of  range  of  your  rifle. 

"  She  immediately  recovered  from  the  slight  stunning 
my  first  bullet  had  given  her,  and  crouched  again  for  an- 
other spring,  and  I  knew  that  unless  I  was  quicker  on  the 
trigger  next  time  she  jumped  for  me,  it  would  be  all  day 
with  me. 


114  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

"  You  may  be  sure  I  lost  no  time  in  drawing  up  my 
rifle  and  letting  fly  at  her  again.  But  instead  of  seeing 
the  ferocious  beast  roll  over  dead,  she  gave  another  spiteful 
growl  and  a  vicious  '  spit ' ;  so  I  knew  that  I  had  not  killed 
her. 

"  I  had  aimed  directly  at  her  left  eye,  knowing  that  the 
ball  would  easily  enter  her  brain,  and  when  I  saw  her 
only  shake  her  head,  I  felt  certain  that  in  another  moment 
she  would  come  for  me  again,  for  she  was  frothing  at  the 
mouth,  and  her  long  claws  were  unsheathed,1  ready  for 
business;  so  something  had  to  be  done  and  that  mighty 
quickly,  for  I  was  pretty  well  used  up  by  the  excitement. 

"  As  she  approached  me,  rather  more  cautiously  this 
time,  I  watched  my  chance  (as  I  had  no  time  to  reload 
my  rifle)  to  try  and  blind  her,  by  aiming  a  blow  at  her 
with  my  knife  that  I  had  drawn;  but  unfortunately  I 
only  cut  her  slightly  on  the  nose,  upon  which  the  enraged 
beast  gave  a  howl  of  pain,  but  paid  no  further  attention 
to  the  wound  than  to  give  another  shake,  of  her  head,  a 
spit,  and  third  jump  for  me. 

"  She  pressed  me  closely,  and  I  tried  to  dodge  her,  but 
my  foot  caught  in  a  grapevine  and  I  fell  sprawling  on  the 
ground.  In  an  instant  she  was  on  top  of  me,  trying  to 
bite,  and  to  claw  me  with  her  hind  feet.  Luckily,  I  had 
on  a  new  suit  of  buckskin,  and  that  was  all  that  saved  me. 

"  With  her  front  paws  she  had  caught  me  by  the  left 

'When  In  repose  and  not  excited,  all  animals  which  possess  claws  fold  them 
back  in  their  sheaths;  but  when  angry,  stretch  them  out  as  offensive  and  defensive 
•weapons. 


ENCOUNTER   WITH   A   CALIFORNIA   LION  115 

shoulder  as  I  fell,  and  the  hinder  portion  of  her  body  was 
toward  my  face.  I  caught  hold  of  her  long  tail,  while 
she  caught  me  by  the  thigh,  which  seemed  to  afford  her 
considerable  amusement,  as  she  tried  to  tear  the  flesh; 
but  my  good  buckskins  resisted  all  her  efforts. 

"  I  had  hold  of  her  tail  with  my  left  hand,  and  imme- 
diately began  to  tickle  her  ribs  with  my  hunting-knife ; 
but  still  the  brute  would  not  let  go  her  hold. 

"  I  knew  it  would  only  take  her  a  few  moments  to  work 
her  teeth  into  my  flesh,  unless  she  was  speedily  shaken  off 
me;  so  I  tried  to  tumble  her  down  the  bank  into  the  river, 
— for  our  scuffle  had  brought  both  of  us  to  the  edge  of 
the  bluff.  So  I  stuck  my  knife  into  her  side,  and  sum- 
moned all  my  strength  to  throw  her  over.  She  resisted 
her  best,  as  if  she  divined  my  intentions,  and  was  terribly 
desperate  in  her  attempts  to  tear  my  flesh. 

"  At  last  I  succeeded  in  getting  her  so  far  down  that 
she  lost  her  balance,  and  rolled  over  and  over  until  she 
landed  on  the  edge  of  the  water;  but  in  her  tumble  she 
dragged  me  with  her.  Fortunately  I  fell  uppermost,  and 
as  we  reached  the  bottom  her  neck  presented  a  fair  mark 
for  my  knife;  so  I  lost  no  time  in  delivering  a  desperate 
blow.  The  point  of  the  long  blade  entered  her  gullet,  and 
by  forcing  the  knife  up  to  the  handle  it  reached  her  heart. 
She  struggled  for  an  instant,  and  then  died,  much  to  my 
satisfaction. 

"  I  got  to  camp  a  little  later  than  usual  that  night,  and 


116  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

my  partner  was  just  on  the  point  of  going  to  hunt  me, 
when  I  entered  our  cabin. 

"  I  was  only  a  little  stiff  and  sore  for  a  few  days,  and 
I  thanked  my  stars  that  I  got  off  so  luckily." 

"  Well,  that  was  an  adventure,"  said  Summerfield.  I 
wouldn't  have  liked  to  be  in  your  boots." 

"  What  are  we  going  to  do  tomorrow  ?  "  asked  Burton, 
as  the  party  broke  up  preparatory  to  retiring. 

"  Don  't  exactly  know,"  replied  Pierre ;  "  but  you  fel- 
lows come  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  we  '11  fix  upon 
something." 

By  sunrise  Monday  morning,  Summerfield  and  Burton, 
mounted  on  their  ponies,  and  carrying  their  rifles,  rode  up 
to  the  dugout,  just  as  Carlos  and  Pierre  were  coming  out. 

"  Romeo  says  that  we  are  entirely  out  of  meat,"  said 
Sumerfield.  We  've  got  lots  of  everything  else,  but  have 
to  go  and  hunt  something." 

"  Well,  get  down,"  said  Pierre ;  and  the  young  men 
dismounted,  and  were  about  tying  their  animals  to  a  tree, 
when  Pierre,  calling  Cyrus,  said,  "  Here,  let  the  dog  hold 
them.  Give  him  your  bridle-reins,  and  he  Jll  take  as  good 
care  of  the,m  as  he  does  of  mine.  You  've  often  seen  him 
hold  mine.  I  never  tie  my  pony  when  Cyrus  is  with  me." 

The  dog  promptly  took  the  two  reins  in  his  mouth,  and 
upon  invitation  Summerfield  and  his  companion  went  into 
the  dugout. 

Mr.  Delahoyde  and  his  wife,  who  were  just  finishing 


OFF    ON    AN   ANTELOPE-HUNT  117 

their  breakfast,  invited  the  visitors  to  partake;  but  they 
declined  with  profuse  thanks,  stating  that  they  had  had 
theirs  very  early  that  morning,  and  had  come  up  to  get 
Carl  and  Pierre  to  go  out  hunting  with  them,  as  their 
larder  was  as  bare  as  Old  Mother  Hubbard's, — not  even 
a  bone  left  in  the  shape  of  meat. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Mr.  Delahoyde,  "  you  and  the  boys 
had  best  go  after  Antelope.  I  saw  a  large  herd  about  ten 
miles  down  the  river  yesterday  afternoon  while  you  and 
my  sons  were  out  for  a  walk.  I  had  occasion  to  go  that 
distance,  to  look  up  better  pasturage  for  the  cattle,  and 
I  came  across  a  herd  that  must  have  contained  several 
hundred.  I  did  not  see  any  buffalo.  I  daresay  you  will 
find  the  same  animals  there  yet;  or  maybe  they  have 
worked  up  this  way  some." 

"  Well,  then,  we  '11  go  antelope-hunting,"  said  Pierre ; 
"  and  let 's  get  off  as  quickly  as  possible." 

"  Won't  we  need  a  pack-animal  to  bring  in  our  meat  ? " 
asked  Burton. 

"  Eo,"  replied  Mr.  Delahoyde.  "  You  can  pack  all  that 
you  need  on  the  backs  of  your  ponies ;  the  meat  won't  keep 
in  this  hot  weather." 

'  The  Delahoyde  boys  soon  got  their  ponies  and  were 
ready  to  start,  and  after  asking  their  father  to  keep  the 
dogs  back,  all  started  down  the  river  by  the  trail  on  the 
edge  of  the  timber. 

"  We  did  n't  bring  any  lunch,"  said  Pierre  to  Summer- 
field  and  Burton,  "  because  we  are  certain  of  shooting 


118  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

something,  and  we  can  cook  it  by  a  fire  in  the  timber,  as 
we  shan't  at  any  time  be  far  from  the  river." 

"  That 's  right,"  said  Summerfield ;  "  I  like  to  depend 
entirely  on  what  we  may  happen  to  kill  for  grub.  That 's 
the  real  hunter  style ;  and  if  we  fail,  why,  we  have  to  go 
without  eating, — that 's  all." 

"  Ko  danger  of  that,"  said  Carl ;  "  I  never  saw  the 
time  yet  in  this  country  when  we  did  not  find  game  of 
some  kind.  You  can  always  kill  a  rabbit,  if  nothing  else." 

They  hugged  the  timber,  watching  for  signs  of  big 
game  as  they  walked  their  animals  on  the  trail  under  the 
trees,  and  were  not  rewarded  by  the  sight  of  anything 
until  they  had  proceeded  about  ten  miles,  when  in  the 
distance,  far  out  on  the  prairie,  Carl  discovered  a  line  of 
moving  objects,  which  he  declared  were  antelope. 

"  I  guess  they  are,"  said  Pierre,  as  he  stopped  his  pony 
and  gazed  long  and  earnestly  at  the  spot  where  there  was 
evidently  something  moving. 

"  They  are  more  than  two  miles  off,"  said  Carl,  "  and 
we  had  best  make  for  that  big  patch  of  bunch-grass  on 
this  side  of  them.  They  won't  be  startled  until  we  get 
within  half  a  mile  of  them.  There  has  been  very  little 
hunting  done  in  this  region,  and  the  animals  are  not 
wild  at  all." 

The  party  proceeded  slowly  toward  the  grassy  area  to 
which  Carl  had  referred,  where  there  were  also  two  or  three 
small  trees.  Upon  arriving  there  they  tied  their  ponies 
to  them,  and  then  crept  carefully  to  a  point  through  the 


CURIOSITY   OF    THE    ANTELOPE  119 

excellent  cover  about  seven  or  eight  hundred  yards  from 
where  the  herd  of  graceful  creatures  were  grazing. 

"  Now,"  said  Pierre,  "  we  Ve  got  to  attract  them  toward 
us  by  something.  You  know  that  they  are  very  curious, 
and  a  bit  of  bright  color  will  set  them  crazy  to  find  out 
what  it  means.  There,  Burton,  that  red  silk  handkerchief 
you  've  got  around  your  throat,  to  keep  the  sun  from  blis- 
tering your  neck,  is  just  the  thing." 

"  Take  it,  then,  by  all  means,"  said  Burton,  as  he  un- 
tied it  and  handed  it  to  Pierre. 

Pierre  then  fastened  it  to  the  wiping-stick  of  his  rifle, 
leaving  the  larger  portion  of  it  to  flutter  in"  the  wind,  and 
then  stuck  it  in  the  ground  twenty  yards  from  where 
they  were  all  concealed  in  the  tall  grass. 

"  !Now  watch  'em,"  said  Pierre,  as  the  bright  flag  began 
to  wave  in  the  breeze  that  was  blowing  gently  from  the 
south. 

Presently  some  of  the  foremost  of  the  herd,  on  looking 
up,  noticed  the  strange  object,  and  after  gazing  upon  it 
for  a  few  moments,  slowly,  with  heads  erect,  moved  to- 
wards the  handkerchief.  The  rest  of  the  animals  soon 
followed  suit,  and  the  boys  saw  with  great  satisfaction  that 
the  antelope  were  unusually  excited,  and  would  get  within 
range  of  their  rifles  shortly. 

"  There  are  four  coming  up  together,"  said  Pierre ; 
"  wait  until  they  get  close  enough,  then  we  '11  all  fire  to- 
gether at  them.  We  can  only  get  one  shot  apiece,  and  if 


120  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

we  all  kill,  there  will  be  meat  enough  to  go  round,  as  long 
as  it  will  keep. 

"  Here  they  are !  "  whispered  Pierre ;  "  now  take  them 
in  regular  order,  just  as  we  lie ;  I  '11  plug  the  one  on  the 
right,  Burton  the  next,  Summerfield  the  third,  and  Carl 
the  fourth." 

"  Fire !  "  said  Pierre,  as  the  animals  came  within  thirty 
yards  of  the  boys, — and  all  four  of  the  creatures  fell,  quiv- 
ering in  their  death-throes;  while  the  rest  of  the  herd, 
scared  at  the  report  of  the  rifles,  rushed  away  as  fast  as 
their  swift  legs  could  carry  them. 

"  Let 's  bleed  them  now,"  said  Pierre,  as  they  rose  from 
their  positions.  "Each  one  take  his  own  animal." 

The  boys  were  quickly  at  the  heads  of  their  game,  with 
knives  out,  and  just  as  Burton  laid  his  hand  on  his  ante- 
lope, up  it  jumped  and  was  off  before  you  could  say  "  Jack 
Robinson." 

Burton  was  perfectly  bewildered,  as  he  saw  the  other 
boys'  animals  still  lying  where  they  had  been  killed,  but 
the  one  that  he  thought  he  had  surely  shot,  flying  down  the 
prairie  to  join  its  mates  far  away  in  the  distance. 

"  You  only  creased  *  yours,"  said  Carlos  as  he  looked 
at  Burton's  puzzled  countenance. 

"  I  thought  I  had  killed  it,"  said  he.  "  It  was  all 
sprawled  out  and  trembling  just  the  same  as  yours,  when 
I  went  toward  it." 

1  Created:  Literally,  to  merely  make  a  mark;  to  Just  graze.  See  chapter  10, 
where  it  la  fully  described. 


DINNER   IN   THE   WOODS  121 

"  Well,  never  mind,"  said  Pierre ;  "  we  've  got  all  the 
meat  we  can  possibly  take  care  of.  These  antelope  are 
awfully  fat.  Let 's  hurry  up  and  get  them  on  the  ponies, 
and  into  the  shade  of  the  timber  where  we  can  take  out 
their  entrails;  then  they  will  keep  better,  and  won't  be 
such  a  heavy  load,  either." 

The  animals  were  packed  on  the  backs  of  three  of  the 
ponies  just  behind  the  saddles,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
were  lying  on  the  ground  again,  in  the  shade  of  the  trees 
on  the  margin  of  the  river,  where  Carlos  and  Pierre  evis- 
cerated them,  then  hung  them  to  limbs,  to  remain  while 
the  ponies  were  picketed  out  to  graze  and  the  boys  were 
getting  their  dinner. 

"  Boys,  gather  some  light-wood,  and  we  '11  soon  have 
something  to  eat,"  said  Pierre  as  he  proceeded  to  cut 
large  slices  off  the  choicest  part  of  one  of  the  antelopes 
with  his  hunting-knife. 

The  wood  was  soon  gathered,  for  all  to  be  done  was  to 
pick  it  up  from  the  ground  where  there  were  cords  of  it 
lying, — dry  limbs  blown  from  the  trees  by  the  last  winter's 
storms. 

Carl  then  took  out  his  flint  and  steel  from  a  pocket, 
and  selecting  a  few  pieces  of  perfectly  dry  rotten  wood, 
struck  the  flint,  and  in  a  few  moments,  after  stimulating 
the  sparks  with  his  breath,  he  had  a  fire  well  started. 

Each  one  fixed  for  himself  a  smooth  wand  of  the  wil- 
low which  grew  so  thickly  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and 
presently  was  busily  engaged  in  broiling  the  slices  of  an- 


122  THE    DELAHOYDES 

telopte  which  Pierre  had  cut  from  one  of  the  carcasses 
hanging  to  the  limb  of  a  tree.  They  had  not  forgotten 
to  bring  a  little  salt  with  them,  and  their  frugal  meal 
was  most  delightfully  satisfactory  to  their  hungry 
stomachs. 

After  they  had  eaten  all  they  possibly  could,  Summer- 
field  and  Burton  brought  out  their  pipes,  and  while  wait- 
ing for  the  ponies  to  fill  themselves,  sat  on  a  log  and 
talked  of  various  things  they  saw  and  heard  in  the  deep 
woods  all  around  them. 

Near  them,  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  was  a  marshy 
bit  of  island,  covered  with  rushes  and  willows,  and  from 
which  there  came  a  curious  sound  of  "  Pump-a-lunk ! 
Pump-a-lunk !  " — a  loud  booming  note,  which  caused  Sum- 
merfield  to  exclaim,  "  What  in  the  world  is  that,  Pierre  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that 's  what  we  call  out  here  '  a  Thunder  Pump.' 
It 's  the  bittern,  or  shitepoke  as  some  people  term  them, 
a  wild,  solitary  bird,  which  like  the  owl,  does  not  come 
out  of  his  marshy  haunts  until  dark,  or  at  least  twilight. 
They  skulk  and  hide  all  day,  and  you  can't  get  one  up 
unless  you  get  right  on  top  of  him.  Then  he  comes  out 
in  a  very  slow,  awkward  way,  dangling  his  long  legs  behind 
him,  and  uttering  a  deep  note  that  sounds  like  '  Kawk ! 
Kawk ! ' " 

"  They  're  the  easiest  bird  killed  I  ever  saw,"  said  Car- 
los ;  "  if  a  small  shot  strikes  one  he  will  fall.  But  he 
isn  't  worth  anything  even  if  you  do  kill  him." 

"  What  do  they  live  on  ?  "  asked  Burton. 


RETURN   TO   THE    RANCH  123 

"  Minnows,  mice,  frogs,  crawfish,  insects,  or  anything 
that  comes  handy,  like  tadpoles  and  other  small  things," 
said  Carlos.  "  Their  nests,"  he  continued,  "  are  built  upon 
hummocks  in  the  low  marshy  water-grasses,  and  are  made 
of  sticks,  weeds  and  rushes  woven  together.  They  lay 
some  three  or  four  eggs,  of  a  brownish  drab." 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  when  the  boys  were  ready 
to  start  back  to  the  ranch,  where  they  arrived  in  two  hours. 
After  dividing  the  meat,  Summerfield  and  Burton  went 
to  their  camp,  stating  that  they  would  not  be  up  again 
until  early  in  the  morning,  as  they  wanted  to  get  to  bed 
soon,  so  they  would  not  oversleep  themselves  and  be  late 
in  going  on  the  proposed  turkey-hunt. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE    BOYS    LEAVE    THE    ARKANSAS    ON    A    TURKEY-HUNT. 

PLOVERS     AND     SANDPIPERS. A     HERD     OF     BUFFALO. 

CAMP    ON  EAGLE    CHIEF   CREEK. ALL   TAKE   A   SWIM. 

GO    TO    THE    BIG    TURKEY-ROOST. ACTIONS    OF    THE    IM- 
MENSE   FLOCKS. GREAT    SPORT    IN    SHOOTING    THEM    BY 

MOONLIGHT. RETURN      TO      CAMP. THE      COYOTES. 

THE      KINGFISHER. HUNT       JACK-RABBITS. BURTON^ 

DREAM. NIGHT    ATTACK     ON     THE     LYNXES. RETURN 

TO  THE  RANCH  ON  THE   CANADIAN. 


.T 


UESDAY  morning  arrived  at  last,  to  which  the 
boys,  particularly  Summerfield  and  Burton,  had 
so  anxiously  looked  forward.  The  day  broke  with 
its  usual  cloudless  sky,  and  a  delicious  breeze  from  the 
south,  the  prevailing  direction  of  the  wind  in  the  region 
'at  this  time  of  year.  It  is  caused  by  the  great  "  South- 
west trade  winds,"  which  bear  down  toward  the  Andes 
and  are  deflected  by  that  lofty  range  of  mountains  di- 
rectly north  again,  striking  the  interior  of  the  continent 
at  about  latitude  thirty-seven,  where  they  join  the 
constant  current  which  crosses  the  whole  United 
States  from  the  southwest.  Hence  the  country  watered 
by  the  Arkansas,  or  at  least  that  portion  where  the  Dela- 
hoydes  lived,  was  always  fanned  in  summer  by  a  breeze 
varying  in  intensity  and  velocity,  according  to  the  fluctir 
ations  of  the  atmospheric  pressure'.1 

"*  Atmospheric  pressure,  weight  of  the  volume  of  air  on  the  earth's  surface 


OFF   FOB   A   TURKEY-HUNT  125 

The  boys  congregated  at  the  dugout  by  sunrise,  where 
all  partook  of  breakfast  prepared  for  them  by  Mrs.  Dela- 
hoyde  thus  early,  so  they  could  get  a  good  start.  As  soon 
as  the  meal  was  hurriedly  disposed  of  they  were  ready 
to  begin  their  journey  to  the  turkey-roost,  thirty  miles 
north  of  the  Canadian  river,  near  the  head  of  Eagle  Chief 
creek.1 

The  Mexican  cook  who  was  to  accompany  them,  and 
who  was  also  an  experienced  packer,  as  nearly  all  of  his 
race  are,  had  already  brought  up  to  the  dugout  the  Bos- 
tonians'  horses  and  his  own,  on  which  latter  he  had  skill- 
fully packed  the  bedding  and  camp  equipage  of  his  em- 
ployers, excepting  the  Sibley  tent,  which  was  left  standing  ] 
just  where  it  had  originally  been  pitched,  lie  was  ' 


provided  with  one  of  the  Delahoyde  animals  to  ridejjj 
young  hunters  all,  of  course,  using  their  individual  ponie$.^ 

Carlos's  and  Pierre's  outfit  comprised  the  same  articles^ 
they  had  taken  with  them  on  their  last  hunting  expedition, 
when  they  shot  the  cub,  and  it  was  packed  on  the  same 
pony  which  had  carried  it  before. 

When  everything  was  ready,  about  half-past  six 
o'clock,  they  "  rolled  out,"  in  prairie  parlance,  the  Mex- 
ican in  the  rear  in  charge  of  the  pack-animals,  which 
readily  followed  those  the  boys  were  riding. 

Cyrus  and  Jupe,  the  never-failing  companions  on  all 
excursions  in  which  Carlos  and  Pierre  participated,  trotted 

1  Eagle  Chief  creek.  So  called  after  a  celebrated  Che7enne  Indian,  who  was  named 
"The  Eagle." 


126  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

alongside  their  masters'  horses,  occasionally  looking  up 
into  the  countenances  of  the  former  with  a  sort  of  ex- 
pression which  seemed  to  indicate  that  they  knew  the  boys 
were  under  their  charge,  at  night  at  least,  and  that  they 
would  not  be  recreant  to  their  trust. 

They  rode  out  of  the  timber  slowly,  and  reaching  the 
open  prairie  walked  their  animals  at  even  a  more  mincing 
pace,  as  they  did  not  want  to  "  wind"  them,  for  they  knew 
that  on  the  treeless  plains  it  was  all  the  time  growing 
rapidly  warmer,  and  they  did  not  expect  to  arrive  at  their 
camp  under  six  hours,  which  would  be  about  noon. 

On  their  route,  both  on  the  ground  and  sailing  in  the 
air,  countless  numbers  of  birds  were  seen.  Those  which 
particularly  attracted  the  attention  of  Summerfield  and 
Burton,  Pierre  told  them  were  the  Mountain  Plover. 

"  Those  birds,"  said  he,  "  are  fine  eating,  and  arrive 
here  in  great  numbers  about  the  first  of  April,  begin  to 
lay  early  in  May,  and  leave  us  again  late  in  the  fall.  They 
love  the  high,  desert-like  prairies,  and  seldom  go  near 
low  or  marshy  ground.  They  live  on  grasshoppers  mostly." 

"  Their  nest,"  said  Carlos,  taking  up  the  subject,  and  to 
whom  his  brother  conceded  a  better  knowledge-  of  eggs  and 
nests  than  himself,  "  is  only  a  little  hollow  in  the  ground, 
which  is  but  sparingly  lined  with  blades  of  grass,  and 
they  lay  from  three  to  four  eggs,  of  a  deep  brownish  drab, 
speckled  with  blackish-brown  spots.  I  have  found  lots  of 
them." 

"  There 's  another  flock  of  birds  over  yonder,"  said 


SANDPIPERS   FOB   DINNER  127 

Burton,  pointing  to  them,  "  that  look  very  much  like  them. 
I  watched  them  light,  and  the  moment  they  touched  the 
ground  they  raised  their  wings  away  up,  and  then  slowly 
folded  them." 

"  Yes,  they  're  Sandpipers, — splendid  eating,  too,"  said 
Pierre.  "  You  can  always  tell  them  by  the  way  you  saw 
them  fold  their  wings,  and  the  sweet,  long  whistle  they 
give  utterance  to  as  they  fly.  We  must  have  some  of 
those  birds  for  our  dinner.  Let 's  stop,  and  as  there  are 
so  many  of  us,  we  '11  just  pot-hunt  them.  Let  me  have 
your  shotgun,  Burton,  and  I  '11  creep  up ;  they  are  not 
shy,  and  I  can  get  a  dozen  at  one  pop  if  I  wait  until  they 
get  into  line." 

So  the  boys  stopped,  while  Pierre  dismounted  and 
threw  the  bridle  reins  to  Cyrus,  which  the  noble  dog  im- 
mediately took  into  his  mouth;  and  while  the  others  re- 
mained in  their  saddles,  Pierre  crawled  cautiously  along 
the  ground  until  he  came  within  range,  where,  waiting 
for  a  few  moments,  he  fired  and  killed  eight. 

"  That 's  not  quite  enough,"  said  he  as  he  picked  up 
the  birds  and  handed  them  to  the  Mexican,  who  fastened 
them  to  the  cantle  of  his  saddle ;  but  seeing  that  the  flock 
had  again  lighted  not  very  far  off,  he  followed  it,  and 
presently  got  another  shot,  bringing  down,  half  a  dozen 
more. 

"  Now  we  've  got  enough  for  dinner,"  said  Pierre,  as 
he  gave  the  birds  to  the  Mexican  to  fasten  with  the  others 


128  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

to  the  back  of  his  saddle,  and  handing  Burton  his  shotgun, 
mounted  his  pony  again,  and  they  all  rode  on. 

They  had  made  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  Arkansas, 
when  in  the  distance  an  immense  herd  of  buffalo  was 
discovered  grazing  on  the  broad  bottom  of  a  little  stream 
to  the  right  of  the  trail  they  were  traveling. 

"  How  I  should  like  to  get  a  shot  at  one !  "  said  Summer- 
field.  "  Let 's  see  if  we  can't  hit  one,"  continued  he, 
looking  appealingly  at  Pierre. 

"  We  can't  stop  now,"  said  Pierre ;  "  we  Ve  a  long  way 
to  go  yet;  besides,  none  of  our  animals  here  have  been 
trained,  and  unless  your  pony  understands  his  business, 
you  can't  come  within  rifle-range  of  the  herd.  We  have 
four  or  five  ponies  at  the  ranch  that  are  as  good  buffalo- 
hunters  as  there  are  in  the  Territory.  Besides,  you  and 
Burton  will  have  plenty  of  chances  to  go  for  them  in  a 
few  days,  after  we  return  from  this  trip.  Curtis  can't 
possibly  get  back  to  the  Arkansas  for  you  from  the  Wichita 
Mountains  in  less  than  fifteen  or  twenty  days.  It  will 
take  him  five  to  reach  Fort  Dodge,  teji  to  get  to  the  Chey- 
enne village,  and  five  or  six  more  to  arrive  at  our  place; 
so  you  will  have  plenty  of  time  to  shoot  all  you  want." 

"  That's  so,"  answered  Summerfield.  "  I  did  n't  think, 
when  I  first  spoke,  that  we  have  to  wait  for  Curtis  to  take 
us  to  Fort  Harker.  I  did  n't  get  a  shot  at  one  when  we 
were  with  him  on  our  trip  to  the  Cheyenne  village,  though 
we  saw  thousands,  but  could  not  get  near  enough;  per- 
haps it  was  because  our  ponies  are  not  trained,  as  you 


EN  ROUTE  TO  THE  ROOST  129 

say.  But  I  do  so  want  to  kill  one  and  take  his  head  back 
to  Boston  with  me." 

"  I  '11  guarantee  that,  and  will  prepare  it  for  you  so 
that  it  will  be  sure  to  keep,"  said  Pierre  encouragingly. 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  Summerfield,  who,  now  seeming 
satisfied,  rode  along  in  much  better  spirits. 

In  two  hours  more,  without  any  adventure  to  relieve 
the  monotony  of  their  journey,  there  loomed  up  in  the 
southeast  a  belt  of  timber,  to  which  Carlos  pointed,  and 
told  Summerfield  and  Burton  that  it  was  the  head  of 
Eagle  Chief  creek. 

"  You  see  that  heaviest  bunch  of  trees  at  the  extreme 
end  ?  "  said  Pierre.  "  Well,  that 's  the  roost.  Our  trail 
runs  close  to  the  edge  of  it,  but  our  camp  will  be  made 
a  mile  below,  where  there  is  a  fine  spring.  The  banks  of 
the  stream  are  very  steep,  and  it  is  difficult  to  get  down  to 
the  water,  yet  the  grass  is  so  good  for  the  horses  out  on  the 
open  prairie,  and  the  timber  is  only  about  a  hundred  yards 
wide  on  the  margin  of  the  creek,  that  we  always  choose 
that  spot.  Besides,  there  is  always  plenty  of  driftwood 
for  our  fires  without  going  to  the  trouble  of  cutting  any." 

"  We  ought  to  make  it  in  another  hour,"  said  Carlos. 

"  I  shall  be  mighty  glad,"  said  Burton,  "  for  I  am  tired, 
and  as  hungry  as  a  bear." 

"  Well,"  said  Summerfield,  "  there  won't  be  anything 
for  us  to  do  but  rest,  after  we  get  our  camp  made  and 
the  ponies  cared  for, —  will  there,  Pierre  ?  " 

—  9 


130  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

"  No,  indeed,"  said  Pierre,  "  you  can  go  to  sleep,  or 
anything  else  you  want  to." 

"  Can  a  fellow  get  a  bath  ?  "   inquired   Summerfield. 

"  Yes,  the  water  is  delightfully  clear  and  cool ;  but,  as 
I  told  you,  it  is  difficult  to  get  at, — though  we  can  overcome 
that  in  some  way,"  replied  Pierre. 

The  party  soon  arrived  at  the  first  bunch  of  timber; 
botli  Summerfield  and  Burton  were  astonished  at  the  size 
of  the  trees,  and  they  saw  with  a  feeling  of  delight  the 
evident  signs  of  a  roost  where  large  numbers  of  birds  must 
have  been  for  a  great  while. 

At  last  they  reached  the  beautiful  spring  which  Pierre 
had  told  about,  and  the  young  strangers  to  the  country 
were  charmed  with  their  resting-place. 

The  spring  rushed  out  of  a  wall  of  rock,  just  like  that 
at  the  ranch  of  the  Delahoydes,  excepting  that  the  water 
in  falling  had  formed  two  basins  or  pools,  as  it  leaped 
from  one  ledge  to  another;  the  lower  a  few  feet  beneath 
the  upper.  Out  of  the  lower  one  the  animals  drank,  and 
the  upper  one  was  used  for  culinary  purposes. 

The  ground  on  which  the  camp  was  situated,  between 
two  large  trees,  comprised  about  forty  square  feet,  covered 
with  grass  as  fine  as  any  lawn.  On  it  the  robes  and 
blankets  for  the  beds  were  thrown,  while  a  little  distance 
away,  on  a  slightly  rising  plateau,  the  Mexican  distributed 
his  pans  and  pots,  for  his  kitchen. 

The  boys  took  the  ponies  out  in  the  open  to  graze,  after 
they  had  watered  them;  and  as  they  started  out  to  picket 


A   BATH    BEFORE    SUPPER  131 

them,  Summerfield  said,  "Romeo,  you  get  us  up  something 
as  quickly  as  you  can." 

"  All  right,"  answered  the  Mexican ;  "  I  get  him  quick !  " 

When  Pierre,  Summerfield,  Carlos  and  Burton  returned 
to  the  camp,  Komeo  had  already  gathered  a  lot  of  dry 
wood  for  his  fire,  which  he  kindled,  and  was  now  busy 
skinning  the  birds,  (in  camp,  birds  are  not  generally 
picked;  it  takes  too  long,)  and  his  coffeepot  was  already 
beginning  to  sing. 

While  he  was  preparing  other  things,  the  boys  un- 
rolled their  blankets  and  robes  to  air,  and  then  sat  down 
on  the  grass  for  a  few  minutes. 

"  I  wonder  whether  we  will  have  time  to  take  a  bath 
before  dinner  ?  "  said  Summerfield ;  "  I  'm  dreadfully 
dusty." 

-  "  How  long  will  it  take  to  get  dinner,  Romeo  ? "  asked 
Burton. 

"  Half -hour ;  can't  get  quicker ;  birds  must  be  cooked 
well,"  answered  Komeo. 

"  Then  we  can  all  take  a  swim,"  said  Pierre ;  and  they 
gathered  a  towel  each,  and  started  for  the  creek. 

The  banks  of  the  little  stream  at  the  camp  were  twenty 
feet  high,  and  very  precipitous,  as  Pierre  had  said  they 
were.  So  they  walked  down  for  a  few  hundred  yards, 
where  Carlos  told  them  he  knew  of  a  trail  which  led  by 
easy  degrees  to  the  water. 

They  found  it  in  a  moment,  and  hurrying  to  the  stream, 
all  plunged  in,  taking  a  hurried  wash, — for  they  were 


182  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

awfully  hungry,  and  did  not  want  to  be  a  minute  late  when 
Romeo  should  announce  the  meal  ready. 

"  All  ready,"  said  Romeo,  as  he  saw  the  boys  approach- 
ing ;  "  come  set  down ;  I  give  you  fine  grub  now." 

The  invitation  was  obeyed  with  alacrity,  and  the  boys 
gathered  themselves  around  a  big  dish  of  beautifully 
broiled  sandpipers,  together  with  biscuit  and  coffee;  both 
Burton  and  Summerfield  declaring  they  had  never  tasted 
anything  so  delicious,  even  at  Parker's,  in  Boston. 

In  a  short  time  there  was  nothing  left  but  a  bunch  of 
scraps,  which  were  tossed  to  the  dogs,  but  every  one  had 
had  plenty.  All  now  retired  to  their  robes  and  blankets, 
to  take  a  siesta  before  they  attempted  anything  in  the 
way  of  amusing  themselves. 

Pierre,  noticing  that  the  scraps  left  from  the  dinner 
were  not  half  a  meal  for  Cyrus  and  Jupe,  got  up  and 
went  for  a  piece  of  the  cub,  which  he  had  purposely 
brought  for  them  from  the  ranch,  and  then  cutting  it  in 
two  pieces  he  gave  them  to  the  dogs,  who  carried  their 
portions  a  little  way  off  and  soon  devoured  every  morsel. 

It  was  nearly  six  o'clock  before  the  young  hunters 
awoke  from  their  afternoon's  sleep.  Then  Pierre  said 
that  the  ponies  must  be  changed  and  watered ;  so  all  went 
out  to  the  prairie  where  they  were  picketed,  and  after 
leading  them  to  the  pool,  re-picketed  them,  and  returned 
to  camp. 

"  We  can't  do  much  this  evening  but  take  it  easy  and 
Joaf  around  camp,"  said  Pierre.  "  The  ponies  are  tired, 


BOTHERED   BY   LYNXES  133 

we  are  tired,  and  even  the  dogs  seem  to  be  affected  the 
same  way.  Besides,  we  will  have  to  keep  pretty  close,  as 
the  turkey-roost  is  too  near  for  ns  to  be  making  much  of  a 
stir,  or  it  might  frighten  them  away,  and  then  we  'd  have 
all  our  journey  for  nothing." 

"  Well,"  said  Summerfield,  "  after  supper,  and  I  have 
had  my  smoke,  I  ;m  going  to  pile  into  bed  and  get  as  much 
sleep  as  I  can,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  tomorrow  night." 

"  That 's  a  good  idea,"  said  Carlos ;  "  I  guess  we  had 
best  all  follow  your  example." 

Supper  was  eaten  and  out  of  the  way  just  about  dark, 
and  sticking  to  their  resolution  of  the  afternoon,  they 
rolled  up  in  their  beds,  and  would  soon  have  been  sound 
asleep  had  the  lynxes  not  kept  up  such  a  racket  for  awhile. 

"  They  smell  the  cooking,"  said  Pierre ;  "  we  '11  have 
some  fun  with  them  to-morrow  night;  would  now,  but  it 
might  interfere  with  our  sport  then." 

The  noisy  beasts  became  quiet  after  awhile,  and  then 
the  young  hunters  fell  into  a  gentle  slumber,  the  faithful 
Cyrus  and  Jupe  keeping  watch  over  the  camp. 

All  were  up  betimes  next  morning,  for  this  was  to  be 
one  of  the  eventful  days  of  the  trip,  to  Summerfield  and 
Burton.  Breakfast  out  of  the  way,  the  animals  watered 
and  changed,  the  boys  started  down  through  the  timber 
for  the  roost,  intending  to  take  their  bearing  for  the  work 
of  the  night. 

They  arrived  there  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  and  found 
everything  to  their  satisfaction,  even  to  the  very  places 


134  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

where  they  intended  to  secrete  themselves  when  darkness 
favored  their  coming  down  to  have  their  sport.  Having 
determined  upon  all  their  plans,  they  left  the  timber  and 
wandered  out  on  the  prairie,  to  return  to  the  camp  by  the 
open  country,  which  they  reached  by  noon,  pretty  well 
tired  out,  but  without  having  met  with  any  adventure  worth 
recording. 

They  had  another  excellent  meal  provided  by  the  ver- 
satile Romeo,  and  after  they  had  finished,  there  was  noth- 
ing to  do  but  wait  until  night,  when  it  would  be  time  to 
go  to  the  roost — -for  business,  that  time. 

Carlos  and  Pierre  cleaned  their  rifles,  while  Summer- 
field  and  Burton  wrote  in  their  journals  the  adventures  of 
their  trip  thus  far,  as  they  had  promised  before  they  left 
home  to  keep  an  accurate  'record  of  all  their  doings. 

They  wished  for  supper-time  to  come,  for  time  dragged 
heavily  on  their  hands  with  nothing  to  do.  At  last  it  was 
announced,  and  they  hurried  to  their  places  near  the  fire 
to  eat. 

When  they  had  all  gathered  around  their  simple  little 
supper-table  which  the  cook  had  improvised  for  them  out 
of  a  huge  piece  of  black-walnut  bark,  enjoying  the  birds, 
and  drinking  their  black  coffee,  Burton,  his  mind'  ever 
occupied  with  the  thoughts  of  the  coming  sport,  asked 
Pierre : 

"  Why  is  it  that  you  select  a  moonlight  night  for  tur- 
key-hunting ? " 

"  Because,"  replied  Pierre,  "  the  moonlight  appears  to 


OFF   FOR   THE    ROOST  135 

blind  the  birds'  eyes,  and  they  become  bewildered,  remain 
where  they  are,  right  in  the  same  place,  not  seeming  to 
know  where  to  go  or  what  to  do." 

"A  lire  has  the  same  effect,"  interrupted  Carlos. 
"  Sometimes  the  hunters  build  great  fires  under  their 
roosts,  and  they  act  in  the  same  manner." 

After  their  supper  was  over  they  became  restless  in 
their  little  camp,  impatient  for  the  seemingly  tardy  sun 
to  set.  At  last,  when  more  than  two  hours  of  the  suspense 
had  continued,  the  fading  rays  began  to  gild  the  summit 
of  the  divide  which  separates  Eagle  Chief  creek  from  the 
Salt  Fork  of  the  Arkansas,  many  miles  northeast.  Then, 
still  having  to  wait  until  the  twilight  curve  met  the  west- 
ern horizon,  and  the  full  moon  appeared  on  the  edge  of 
the  eastern  sky,  looking  like  a  disk  of  molten  gold,  all 
excepting  the  Mexican  cook  and  the  dogs  left  the  bivouac 
and  sauntered  slowly  through  the  timber  to  the  huge  trees 
where  the  coveted  birds  were  in  the  habit  of  congregating 
at  night  for  many  seasons.  As  the  party  walked  on,  not 
a  word  was  uttered,  against  which  both  Carlos  and  Pierre 
had  warned  Summerfield  and  Burton. 

Arriving  at  the  edge  of  the  roost,  at  the  suggestion  of 
the  Delahoyde  boys  all  took  their  positions  on  the  ground, 
separating  themselves  from  one  another  at  distances  of 
about  twenty  feet,  each  to  watch  from  his  individual  van- 
tage-point until  the  moment  should  come  for  the  birds  to 
seek  their  resting-place. 

They  did  not  have  to  wait  very  long.     Before  it  had 


136  THE    DELAHOYDE8        , 

fairly  grown  dark  in  the  western  sky,  two  or  three  flocks, 
numbering  at  least  two  hundred  of  the  bronzed  beauties, 
came  walking  stealthily  down  the  sheltered  ravines  lead- 
ing out  into  the  broad  bottom  where  the  great  trees  stood 
in  aggregated  clumps,  in  the  shadows  of  which  the  boys 
had  secreted  themselves. 

Sumrnerfield  and  Burton  could  hardly  contain  them- 
selves, so  excited  were  they  at  such  (to  them)  an  extra- 
ordinary scene;  but  a  suppressed  whisper  from  Pierre 
brought  them  back  to  their  normal  common-sense. 

Presently  the  leader  of  one  of  the  flocks  arrived  at  the 
spot  where  his  charge  had  been  accustomed  to  roost.  Then 
he  suddenly  stopped,  glanced  all  around  him  cautiously 
for  a  few  seconds,  and,  failing  to  observe  anything  sus- 
picious, (so  dark  was  it  where  his  enemies  lay  prone  upon 
the  ground,)  seemed  satisfied  everything  was  all  right; 
and  then  he  gave  the  signal — a  sharp,  quick,  shrill  note, 
at  the  instant  of  which,  every  bird  with  one  accord,  and 
a  great  fluttering  of  wings,  rose  and  alighted  in  the  loftiest 
branches  of  the  tallest  trees. 

In  a  few  moments,  many  more  flocks  arrived  and  went 
through  exactly  the  same  evolutions  as  the  first  two,  when, 
having  settled  themselves  for  an  undisturbed  slumber, 
Summerfield  and  Burton  whispered,  "  Can't  we  commence 
now  ? " 

"Not  quite  yet,"  replied  Pierre;  "wait  a  little  longer 
until  the  moon  gets  higher,  you  may  spoil  all  by  a  too 
hasty  firing,  and  besides,  are  likely  to  miss  them." 


Soon  the  moon,  having  apparently  intensified  its  bril- 
liancy as  it  approached  nearer  the  zenith,  flooded  with  a 
golden  sheen,  as  its  light  sifted  through,  the  interstices 
of  the  leaves,  every  limb,  upon  which  could  now  be  plainly 
seen  each  individual  bird  as  it  crouched  in  position  on  its 
roost. 

"  Fire  away !  "  said  Pierre  at  last,  and  the  boys  began 
to  shoot  on  their  own  account;  and  although  Summerfield 
and  Burton  missed  frequently  in  their  excitement,  the 
turkeys  dropped  from  the  trees  like  leaves  in  October. 
The  birds  not  killed  at  the  first  fusillade  did  not  seem  to 
possess  sense  enough  to  get  out  of  harm's  way,  but  flew 
from  tree  to  tree  at  every  shot,  persistently  remaining  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  roost  with  all  their  charac- 
teristic stupidity  on  such  occasions. 

After  indulging  in  the  shooting  for  an  hour,  Pierre, 
determining  to  put  an  end  to  the  wanton  slaughter,  said, 
"  Fellows,  let 's  stop  now.  We  've  got  more  birds  than 
we  can  possibly  use,  or  take  back  to  camp."  He  had  only 
allowed  his  conscientious  scruples  in  this  instance  to  be 
suppressed,  because  he  wanted  his  guests  to  have  their 
full  measure  of  sport. 

They  then  began  to  gather  the  dead  birds,  and  found 
they  had  killed  thirty;  but  not  being  able  to  pack  that 
number,  selected  eight  of  the  largest  and  fattest,  and 
started, — compelled  to  leave  the  remainder  just  where  they 
fell. 

"  Shooting  wild   turkeys   under   such   a   brilliant  full 


138  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

moon,  which  nowhere  that  I  have  ever  been  shines  so  in- 
tensely," said  Summerfield,  "  is  the  greatest  sport  I  have 
ever  had." 

When  the  young  hunters  reached  their  camp  it  was  long 
after  midnight,  and  first  suspending  their  turkeys  to  the 
limbs  of  the  trees,  all  immediately  retired,  worn  out  with 
fatigue  and  excitement. 

They  had  scarcely  thrown  themselves  down  on  their 
beds,  when  there  came  on  the  still  air,  at  apparently  a 
great  distance  off,  a  snapping,  snarling  and  barking  as 
if  it  emanated  from  the  throats  of  a  hundred  wolves. 

Summerfield  and  Burton  both  sat  up  and  asked  what 
the  terrible  racket  meant.  They  noticed  that  Cyrus  and 
Jupe  were  uneasy  too,  having  lifted  their  heads  and  were 
intently  listening. 

Pierre,  without  changing  his  position,  answered  the 
question :  "  They  're  Coyotes  after  the  turkeys  we  shot 
and  left  down  at  the  roost." 

"  Let 's  go  and  look  at  them,"  said  Burton ;  "  it  must 
be  a  sight  worth  going  for !  " 

"  !N"o  use,"  said  Carlos ;  "  by  the  time  we  got  there  you 
wouldn't  find  a  coyote  on  the  ground.  Probably  there 
were  more  than  a  hundred  of  them,  and  you  can  guess 
how  long  twenty -two  turkeys  would  last  'em;  about  five 
minutes,  and  away  they  'd  go." 

"There,  hark!"  said  Pierre;  "they're  off  already," 
as  the  sharp  yelps  grew  suddenly  fainter,  and  in  a  few 
seconds  had  ceased  entirely.  Upon  the  noise  of  the  coy- 


THE   COYOTES  189 

otes  having  ended,  Cyrus  and  Jupe  again  curled  them- 
selves on  the  buffalo-robes  at  their  masters'  feet 

"  It 's  a  lucky  thing  for  turkeys  that  a  coyote  or  wolf 
can't  climb  a  tree,"  said  Carlos,  "  or  there  would  n't  be 
many  of  the  birds  left  in  this  country." 

"  Of  course  they  can't  climb  a  tree,"  said  Summerfield, 
keeping  up  the  conversation,  as  the  howling  of  the  coy- 
otes had  awakened  every  one  and  all  were  inclined  to  talk 
for  a  few  moments,  "  but  I  suppose  they  can  get  around 
pretty  lively  on  steep  places  ? " 

"Not  at  all!"  answered  Pierre.  "You  know  how 
clumsily  a  dog  will  scramble  up  a  ledge  of  rocks?  It 
must  be  quite  an  easy  slope  for  him  to  make  it  anyhow. 
Well,  a  wolf  is  just  like  a  dog  in  that  particular :  he  can't 
make  any  headway  on  a  steep  elevation  like  a  rocky  bluff, 
unless  it 's  mighty  easy  footing." 

The  boys  soon  dropped  off  to  sleep,  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments not  a  sound  disturbed  the  quiet  of  the  little  camp. 

•By  daylight,  Carlos  and  Pierre,  as  usual,  were  out  of 
their  robes,  but  they  did  not  disturb  Summerfield  or  Bur- 
ton, who  were  in  a  most  profound  slumber.  They  routed 
out  the  Mexican  cook,  however,  who  had  slept  all  night, 
and  inquired  of  him  as  they  pointed  to  the  turkeys  hang- 
ing to  the  trees,  whether  he  knew  how  to  roast  one  in  the 
old  trapper  style. 

He  answered  affirmatively,  saying  that  he  had  not  only 
cooked  birds  that  way,  but  buffalo-heads,  deer,  antelope, 
and  mountain  sheep.  He  then  commenced  operations, 


140  THE   DELAHOYDES 

just  as  Carlos  and  Pierre  had  at  the  last  camp ;  and,  satis- 
fied that  he  knew  his  business,  the  boys  went  off  to  attend 
to  the  seven  ponies  that  were  picketed  out  on  the  prairie. 

When  they  had  watered  them  and  put  them  on  fresh 
grass,  they  returned  to  camp,  and  found  Summerfield  and 
Burton  just  getting  up,  they  having  snuffed  the  breakfast 
the  cook  was  preparing.  They  were  profuse  in  their  apol- 
ogies for  being  so  late,  as  they  looked  at  the  sun  and 
noticed  its  rays  were  streaming  over  the  tops  of  the  trees. 

"  That 's  all  right,"  said  Pierre ;  "  we  thought  we  would 
let  you  sleep  a  while  this  morning,  as  we  knew  that  the 
excitement  of  last  night  had  worked  your  nerves  up  to 
a  high  pitch.  How  do  you  feel,  anyhow  ?  " 

"  I  ''in  in  a  delightful  state  of  both  health  and  mind,'1 
said  Summerfield ;  "  slept  like  a  top  after  those  infernal 
coyotes  had  shut  up.  I  guess  I  'II  go  and  take  a  plunge  in 
the  creek,  before  breakfast.  Come  along,  Burton !  " 

"In  a  minute,"  replied  Burton,  who,  giving  another 
yawn,  and  stretching  himself  again,  remarked :  "  All 
night  I  had  some  of  the  most  terribly  exciting  dreams 
that  I  ever  had  in  my  life.  I  could  n't  get  away  from 
great  flocks  of  turkeys  which  attacked  me  with  their  sharp 
bills  like  pick-axes;  each  bird  being  as  large  as  an  elephant, 
and  all  I  had  to  defend  myself  with  was  a  little  stick." 

The  other  boys' laughed,  as  Burton  rose,  and  throwing 
a  blanket  around  him,  accompanied  Summerfield  to  the 
creek,  remarking  as  he  walked  out  of  camp :  "  I  guess 


DREAMS  141 

a  good  plunge  will  cool  my  brain  and  quiet  my  nervous 
system." 

"  You  come  back  soon,"  said  the  Mexican  cook  in  his 
broken  English;  ''breakfast  be  ready  quick." 

"  All  right,  Romeo,"  said  Summerfield ;  (his  name  was 
Romero,  but  they  called  him  Romeo,  because  it  was  easier 
to  remember;)  "we'll  be  back  in  ten  minutes." 

In  about  ten  minutes,  as  Summerfield  had  promised,  he 
and  Burton  returned,  shortly  afterward  all  were  eat- 
ing their  breakfast,  which  Romeo  had  told  them  should 
be  an  exceptionally  good  one.  There  were  biscuits  he  had 
baked  in  his  skillet ;  broiled  slices  of  the  breast  of  one  of  the 
turkeys;  black  coffee;  canned  fruit,  brought  along  from 
the  stores  of  the  young  Bostonians;  besides  plovers'  eggs 
which  Carlos  had  gathered  from  the  nests  he  had  found 
while  Summerfield  and  Burton  were  taking  their  bath. 

Gathered  in  a  little  circle  near  the  cook's  fire,  all  feeling 
in  excellent  spirits  over  their  luck  of  the  last  night,  and 
the  really  delicious  things  which  Romeo  had  managed  to 
serve,  the  conversation  turned  toward  the  subject  of 
dreams,  inspired  by  Burton's  ridiculous  experience. 

"  I  rarely  dream,"  said  Summerfield,  "  but  I  am  satis- 
fied that  there  come  to  us  in  our  slumbers,  only  visions 
of  things  and  events  that  have  happened.  No  matter  how 
absurd,  impossible  and  exaggerated  the  scenes  that  pass 
before  us,  they  are  based  upon  actual  occurrences.  Con- 
sider how  ridiculous  the  turkeys  appeared  to  Burton  in 


142  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

his  dream  of  last  night,  yet  we  can  easily  find  the  founda- 
tion for  it  in  our  hunt." 

"  I  am  certain  that  animals  dream  too,  or  at  least  some 
of  them,"  said  Carlos.  "  I  have  often  watched  Cyrus  and 
Jupe  when  asleep  in  camp.  They  would  suddenly  tremble 
all  over,  their  legs  moving  violently,  and  then  they  would 
utter  a  suppressed  yell,  just  as  they  do  when  chasing  a 
jack-rabbit  or  a  lynx.  When  I  woke  them  up,  they  would 
look  as  sheepish  as  possible,  stare  all  around  for  a  moment, 
then  quiet  down  again,  as  if  they  realized  they  had  been 
dreaming." 

"  I  have  noticed  that  in  my  own  dogs  at  home,  too,"  said 
Burton.  "  I  don't  see  why  animals  should  n't  dream,  as 
well  as  people." 

"  I  am  sure  that  Ephraim,  our  bear,  dreams,"  said 
Pierre.  "  He  will  snort,  tumble  about,  close  his  paws,  and 
act  just  as  he  does  when  Carl  or  I  wrestle  with  him,  and 
I  suppose  he  is  dreaming  of  the  fun  he  has  with  us  that 
way." 

"  Well,  Romeo,"  said  Summerfield,  as  the  boys  rose 
from  their  places,  "  that  was  a  splendid  breakfast,  as  you 
promised ;  and  here  's  some  tobacco,  to  make  for  yourself 
some  cigarettes." 

"  You  wait  for  turkey  to-night,"  said  the  Mexican,  grin- 
ning all  over,  "  then  you  say  bueno!"  (good.) 

"  You  and  Burton  ought  to  see  how  the  old  mountaineers 
and  trappers  cooked  their  large  game,"  said  Pierre  to 
Summerfield,  as  the  latter  lighted  his  pipe  with  a  coal 


TURKEY  COOKED  IN  MUD  143 

from  the  cook's  fire.  "  Romeo  is  going  to  fix  one  of  our 
turkeys  that  way  for  supper.  We  can't  have  it  for  din- 
ner, because  it  takes  all  day  to  cook  it  properly.  Gener- 
ally the  meat,  or  whatever  it  may  happen  to  be,  is  pre- 
pared in  the  evening,  and  allowed  to  roast  all  night,  so  as 
to  be  ready  for  breakfast.  Carl  and  I  had  a  turkey  we 
served  that  way  when  we  were  camping  out  last  week.  It 
won't  take  long  for  Romeo  to  get  his  ready  for  the  fire. 
-By  the  time  that  Carl  and  I  have  shifted  the  ponies  and 
are  back  here,  you  and  Burton  can  learn  the  whole  mys- 
tery ;  then  we  '11  go  out  on  a  hunt." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Summerfield,  "  but  I  think  that  you 
should  let  Burton  and  I  do  our  share  of  the  camp-work  this 
morning." 

"  N^ever  mind  that  now,"  replied  Pierre ;  "  there  will 
be  plenty  for  you  to  do  after  a  while." 

Then  he  and  his  brother  started  for  the  animals. 

Summerfield  and  Burton  watched  Romeo  dig  his  pit, 
kindle  a  fire  in  it,  and  plaster  the  turkey  all  over  with 
mud,  ready  for  cooking  in  a  style  that  they  had  never  seen 
or  heard  of  in  Boston. 

As  soon  as  Carlos  and  Pierre  returned  to  the  camp, 
they  all  took  their  rifles,  whistled  to  the  dogs,  and  started 
on  foot  for  a  ramble  along  the  creek-bank  to  pass  the  morn- 
ing with  some  sort  of  amusement. 

They  had  not  proceeded  very  far  when  Burton,  seeing 
a  curious-looking  bird  at  the  edge  of  the  water,  said,  "  I 
know  what  that  is :  it 's  a  kingfisher,  is  n't  it,  Carl  ?  VTe 


144  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

have  them  down  East ;  I  've  often  seen  them  along  the 
rivers  and  brooks  in  Massachusetts." 

"Yes,  you're  right,"  replied  Carlos.  "That's  the 
Belted  Kingfisher;  he  is  here  all  summer,  and  sometimes 
stays  with  iis  during  the  winter,  if  the  weather  is  mild, 
as  our  winters  generally  are.  You  see  he  has  a  band,  the 
color  of  a  chestnut,  around  his  body,  and  that 's  why  they 
call  him  belted.  They  are  always  found  at  the  edges  of 
the  streams,  sitting  on  a  limb  of  a  tree  which  overhangs 
the  water,  ready  to  dive  for  the  minnows  which  come  to 
the  surface.  They  seldom  fail  to  catch  one,  either.  The 
funniest  thing  about  them  is,  that  they  always  carry  the 
fish  they  catch  to  some  place  where  they  can  rest,  and  kill 
it  by  beating  it  before  they  swallow  it,  which  they  do  head 
first!" 

"They  have  a  harsh,  shrill  note,"  said  Burton;  "it 
sounds  like  a  policeman's  rattle !  " 

"  It 's  exactly  the  same  bird  that  you  have  East,"  said 
Pierre.  "  Hark !  hear  him  ?  "  as  the  bird  struck  up  his 
unmusical  screech. 

After  studying  the  kingfisher  for  a  few  moments,  the 
boys  walked  on,  and  presently  reached  the  open  prairie, 
where  they  hoped  to  start  up  a  rabbit  for  dinner,  as  the 
sandpipers  were  all  gone  and  they  had  only  turkey  left,  but 
did  not  care  to  eat  any  more  of  that  kind  of  meat  until 
evening,  when  the  turkey  which  Romeo  had  put  in  the 
underground  oven  would  be  done. 

They  had  not  gone  more  than  half  a  mile  before  Cyrus 


HUNTING   JACK-RABBITS  145 

flushed  a  big  jack,  and  both  the  dogs  went  for  him  full 
tilt.  They  ran  him  a  mile,  though,  before  Cyrus  caught 
him  and  brought  him  to  Pierre. 

"  That  will  do  for  a  beginning,"  said  he  to  the  dogs ; 
"  but  we  must  have  one  more,  at  least,  or  you  two  hungry 
fellows  will  go  without  your  dinner."  And  he  started 
them  on  again. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  both  Cyrus  and  Jupe  had 
each  caught  another;  and  then,  as  there  was  meat  enough 
for  themselves  and  the  dogs  too,  the  boys  concluded  to 
return  to  camp,  as  it  was  growing  fearfully  hot. 

"  Well,  we  must  get  an  early  start  for  home  in  the 
morning,"  said  Pierre,  "  and  it  is  a  pity  that  all  our  tur- 
keys are  spoiled  by  the  hot  weather;  but  we  will  have 
some  sport  with  them  and  the  lynxes  to-night,"  he;  con- 
tinued. "  I  thought  that  we  never  should  be  able  to  get 
any  of  them  to  the  ranch ;  it 's  lucky  that  Romeo  com- 
menced this  morning  on  that  one  in  the  oven,  or  we  would 
be  without  anything  to  eat  now." 

"  It 's  too  warm  to  go  anywhere  until  evening,"  said 
Carlos ;  "  so  we  must  content  ourselves  in  camp  until  then. 
I  'm  going  to  take  another  bath.  Don't  you  fellows  want 
to  go  along  ?  "  he  inquired  of  the  others. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  Summerneld ;  "  you  can't  propose 
bathing  too  often  for  me.  I  'm  a  regular  water-dog." 

So  all  went  down  to  the  stream  again,  where  they  played 
in  the  water  for  an  hour  or  more ;  then  returned  to  camp, 

took  care  of  the  ponies,  and  threw  themselves  on  the  beds 
—  10 


146  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

for  a  nap  until  time  for  supper,  when  the  turkey  would 
be  ready. 

About  sundown,  Romeo  announced  that  the  bird  was 
cooked  all  right,  and  to  it  they  fell  with  most  ravenous 
appetites;  for  they  had  purposely  refrained  from  eating 
much  dinner,  so  as  to  get  all  the  good  they  could  out  of 
the  unique  manner  in  which  the  cook  had  served  the  bird. 

After  they  had  finished,  Pierre  said,  "  As  soon  as  it 
gets  dark,  we  '11  take  the  turkeys  and  carry  them  out  into 
the  timber  about  half  a  mile  from  camp,  so  the  lynxes 
will  smell  them,  and  then  when  the  moon  is  up,  which 
will  be  in  a  few  minutes,  we  will  go  and  hide  under  some 
tree  near  by  them.  Then  when  Mr.  Lynx  comes  along 
we  '11  have  some  fun." 

They  found  a  suitable  spot,  close  to  some  big  cotton- 
woods,  where  they  could  mask  themselves  behind  their 
trunks,  and  placing  the  bodies  of  the  spoiled  turkeys 
within  easy  rifle-range  of  the  trees  they  had  chosen  as  a 
blind,  all  sat  themselves  on  the  ground  to  quietly  await 
developments. 

The  moon  had  risen  before  they  had  tied  their  tempt- 
ing bait  to  the  bushes,  and  very  shortly  after  they  had 
taken  their  places  the  soft  mewing  of  a  lynx  could  be 
heard,  then  another  and  another,  as  they  stealthily  crept 
toward  the  bait. 

When  they  reached  it  a  tremendous  snarling  and  spit- 
ting took  place,  just  like  tom-cats  on  a  garden  fence  in  a 
town;  and  the  boys,  waiting  until  they  had  fairly  begun 


RETURN    TO   THE    RANCH  147 

to  feast  on  the  birds,  opened  on  them  with  their  rifles. 
Carlos  and  Pierre  both  killed  one,  Burton  another,  but 
Summerfield  missed  his  completely;  so  they  got  three  in 
all,  which  was  pretty  good  work  for  the  short  time  it  took 
to  effect  it.  And  as  there  was  no  use  in  remaining  there 
any  longer,  because  the  animals  would  not  come  back,  the 
boys  returned  to  camp  and  went  to  bed. 

Bright  and  early  the  next  morning  they  were  all  on 
their  way  to  the  ranch,  where  they  arrived  in  time  for 
supper.  Very  hungry  they  were,  too,  for  their  breakfast 
had  been  a  light  one,  as  all  that  they  had  depended  upon, 
the  turkeys,  had  been  spoiled  by  the  warm  weather. 

That  evening  Summerfield  and  Burton  visited  the  dug- 
out, as  was  their  wont, — the  delightful  moonlight  forbid- 
ding thoughts  of  bed  until  they  had  passed  an  hour  or 
two  with  their  young  friends  of  the  ranch,  and  listened 
to  some  adventure  by  Mr.  Delahoyde  of  his  own  boyhood 
days,  of  which  he  had  a  store. 

When  all  were  seated  on  the  big  log  that  laid  in  front 
of  the  dugout,  Summerfield  and  Burton  having  lighted 
their  pipes,  the  conversation  drifted  to  what  they  had 
particularly  noticed  on  their  trip  to  the  turkey-roost. 
Summerfield  had  been  especially  attracted  by  the  deceiv- 
ing pictures  of  the  wonderful  mirage,1  and  admitted  that 

1  Mirage  is  that  peculiar  phenomenon  best  observed  on  deserts,  or  on  the  arid 
mid-continent  region  of  the  United  States.  It  Is  derived  from  the  French  word 
mfrer,  to  look  at,  and  from  the  Latin  mirus,  wonderful.  Its  cause  was  first  explained 
by  the  scientist  Monge,  a  Frenchman  who  accompanied  Napoleon  on  his  expedition  to 
Egypt :  "The  layers  of  air  in  contact  with  the  heated  soil  are  rarefied  and  expanded 
more  than  those  immediately  above  them  ;  a  ray  of  light  from  an  elevated  object  has 


148  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

he  did  almost  believe  that  what  he  saw  was  real,  and  not 
the  distorted  images  caused  by  the  atmosphere. 

Burton  said  that  he  would  have  sworn  at  one  time  on 
the  journey,  they  were  approaching  a  beautiful  lake,  and 
was  only  assured  of  his  mistake  when  they  reached  the 
spot  where  he  imagined  it  existed,  to  find  that  nothing 
was  there  but  the  dead  prairie. 

Mr.  Delahoyde  told  them  that  emigrants  in  the  early 
days,  when  crossing  the  Plains,  often  made  long  detours 
from  the  established  route  in  trying  to  reach  one  of  those 
deceptive  lakes,  which  seemed  about  ten  or  twelve  miles 
distant,  and  much  suffering  ensued. 

Once,  during  an  Indian  war  on  the  Plains  some  years 
ago,  an  officer  of  a  cavalry  regiment  pursuing  a  band  of 
savages  that  had  been  committing  depredations  on  the 
border,  when  riding  ahead  of  his  troops,  saw,  as  he  be- 
lieved, a  party  of  the  savages  not  more  than  a  mile  in 
advance,  and  who  appeared  to  be  coming  toward  him  on 
a  quick  lope.  Orders  were  immediately  given  for  the 
troopers  to  move  forward  and  meet  the  attack,  as  the  dis- 
tance between  the  supposed  enemies  was  decreasing  each 
moment.  The  command  to  charge  was  just  about  to  bo 
sounded,  when  what  at  first  appeared  to  be  a  band  of  the 
Indians  was  found  to  be  nothing  but  the  desiccated  car- 

to  traverse  strata  of  air  less  and  less  refracting,  and  the  angle  of  Incidence  continually 
Increases  In  amount  till  refraction  gives  place  to  Internal  reflection."  The  objects 
distorted  by  the  mirage  are  generally  seen  In  the  air  Inverted,  and  appear  to  be 
formed  In  water,  so  as  to  create  the  Illusion  that  a  lake  or  pond  Is  near.  Many  a 
thirsty  traveler  on  the  Great  Plains  has  been  deceived,  and  followed  for  miles  the 
phantom  sheet  of  water  he  so  terribly  needed,  only  to  find  that  it  had  no  existence. 


DECEPTION   OF   THE    MIRAGE  140 

casses  of  some  buffalo  which  the  mirage  had  exaggerated 
by  the  effect  of  the  peculiar  atmospheric  conditions;  and 
that  waving  motion  which  always  attends  the  phenomenon 
caused  the  buffalo  to  appear  as  if  moving  toward  the  com- 
mand. 

"  You  have  to  get  used  to  a  great  many  curious  things 
out  in  this  strange  country,"  said  Mr.  Delahoyde.  The 
mirage  is  one  of  them,  and  the  other  is  the  deception  of 
distances ;  but  the  eye  soon  gets  accustomed  to  it." 

After  more  conversation  relative  to  their  hunt,  all  re- 
tired to  their  separate  sleeping-places,  anxious  for  the 
morning  to  come,  which  was  to  be  full  of  new  adventures. 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 

TOM    NORMAN,    THE    GOVERNMENT     SCOUT,     REPORTS     VAST 

NUMBERS    OF    BUFFALO    SOUTH    OF    THE    CANADIAN. A 

GRAND  HUNT  PROPOSED  FOE  THE  MORROW. STORIES  OF 

ADVENTURE. A     COMICAL     MEETING     WITH     A     GRIZZLY 

BEAR. FIGHT     WITH    A     CALIFORNIA    LION. CAPTURE 

OF  A  PANTHER  CUB. 

SUMMERFIELD  and  Burton  did  not  get  out  of  bed 
next  morning  until  after  seven  o'clock,  so  stiff  and 
sore  were  they  from  their  long  ride  of  sixty  miles. 
They  went  immediately  to  the  pool  to  take  their  accus- 
tomed bath,  stopping  a  fe,w  moments  at  the  dugout  to  talk 
with  Pierre  and  Carlos;  then  returned  to  their  camp  to 
clean  ^their  rifles,  and  to  fix  their  clothes  that  had  been 
torn  in  the  brush  on  Eagle  Chief  creek. 

Carlos  and  his  brother  were  just  as  fresh  and  lively  as 
ever  after  their  night's  sleep,  and  went  to  work  in  theii 
little  garden-patch,  which  had  been  sadly  neglected  for 
the  past  week,  while  entertaining  their  young  visitors, 
and  did  not  go  to  their  camp  until  after  supper,  to  invite 
them  up  to  the  dugout  and  spend  the  evening. 

Before  dark,  Summerfield  and  Burton  were  again 
seated  on  the  lawn  at  the  ranch,  as  had  been  the  custom 
when  not  out  on  a  trip  with  Carlos  and  Pierre.  Mr.  Dela- 
hoyde  told  them  that  just  after  they  had  left  for  their 
camp  last  evening,  Tom  Norman,  a  Government  scout,  on 

(150) 


VAST   NUMBEE8    OF    BUFFALO  151 

his  way  from  Fort  Sill  to  Harker,  had  stopped  at  the 
ranch  a  few  moments,  and  reported  the  whole  country 
south  of  the  Canadian  black  with  buffalo.  "  He  struck 
the  Arkansas  about  thirty  miles  west  of  here,  then  fol- 
lowed the  Santa  Fe  trail  right  down  to  here.  So  if  you 
boys  want  to  go  on  a  hunt  before  you  leave  for  home,  now 
is  a  good  opportunity,  for  the  buffalo  will  probably  remain 
for  a  week  or  more  in  the  vicinity  of  where  Norman  saw 
them." 

"  Let 's  go  by  all  means,"  said  Summerfield.  "  Why 
can't  we  start  to-morrow  ?  " 

"  I  know  of  no  reason  why  you  can't,"  said  Mr.  Dela- 
hoyde ;  "  but  you  do  not  have  to  leave  here  until  afternoon, 
because  you  can't  get  to  the  ground  before  the  second  day, 
and  will  have  to  camp  on  Bluff  creek  the  first  night.  So 
you  can  take  it  easy,  and  be  ready  the  first  thing  next 
morning  to  go  on  to  the  Canadian,  and  arrive  there  by 
sundown."  "  w /• 

"  We  won't  want  to  take  any  camping-out  things,"  said 
Pierre,  because  it  is  so  warm  now  we  can  use  our  saddle- 
blankets  to  sleep  on,  and  can  cook  our  meat  just  as  we 
did  the  antelope  yesterday." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Carlos.  "  We  don't  have  to  take  the 
dogs  along,  either, — they  '11  be  in  the  way ;  and  as  there 
are  so  many  of  us — four — we  can  take  turns  keeping  guard 
at  night.  Besides,  we  shall  not  be  out  more  than  four 
nights,  anyhow." 

"  We  '11  have  to  take  one  extra  pony  along,  come  to 


152  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

think  of  it,"  continued  Pierre,  "to  pack  a  buffalo  head 
that  I  promised  to  mount  for  Summerfield." 

"  Yes,"  said  Summerfield,  "  don't  forget  that.  I  want 
to  take  a  head  with  me  back  to  Boston  by  all  means." 

"  It 's  settled  then,"  said  Burton,  "  that  we  go  to-mor- 
row afternoon." 

"  As  we  have  plenty  of  time  for  sleep  to-night,  can't 
you  tell  us  some  other  adventure  before  we  go  back  to  the 
camp,  Mr.  Delahoyde  ? "  appealingly  asked  Summerfield. 

"  Why,  yes,  if  you  care  to  hear  one,"  replied  Mr.  Dela- 
hoyde. "  I  have  a  fund  of  them,  but  they  do  not  always 
come  to  me  when  I  want  them.  Let 's  see,"  continued  he, 
musingly ;  "  I  once  had  two  adventures  on  the  same  after- 
noon; one  was  very  comical,  the  other  quite  serious. 

"  I  was  trapping  on  Powder  river  with  my  father,  and 
as  we  were  getting  scarce  of  meat,  he  told  me,  just  after 
our  meager  dinner  one  day,  to  go  out  and  hunt  for  any- 
thing that  was  good  to  eat. 

"  I  must  have  walked  about  five  miles  down  the  stream, 
— you  know  we  never  thought  much  of  a  five-  or  even  ten- 
mile  tramp  in  those  days, — and  coming  through  a  big 
patch  of  underbrush,  I  suddenly  met,  face  to  face,  a  mon- 
strous grizzly  bear.  Luckily  for  me,  it  was  a  male,  and 
not  a  female  with  cubs  at  her  side,  or  it  would  have  been 
the  end  of  me. 

"  We  were  upon  each  other  before  we  had  any  idea  of 
it,  the  brush  was  so  thick ;  and  as  he  met  me  he  looked  at 
me  askance,  gave  a  snort,  quickly  raised  one  of  his  big 


FIGHT   WITH   A   PANTHER  153 

fore  paws,  without  stopping,  and  knocked  my  rifle  clear 
out  of  my  hand;  it  would  have  gone  forty  feet  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  chapparal.  Fortunately,  he  kept  right 
on  in  his  tracks,  without  turning  his  head  to  take  a  second 
look.  So  did  I  as  soon  as  I  had  picked  up  my  rifle,  which, 
as  luck  would  have  it,  was  not  injured  a  bit. 

"  I  don't  know  which  was  the  worst  scared,  the  bear 
or  myself. 

"Continuing  down  the  river  trail,  in  about  half  an  hour 
I  came  upon  a  small  herd  of  black-tail  deer,  and  shot  a 
fine  fat  doe,  which  fell  right  under  a  big  mountain  cotton- 
wood  tree  on  the  bank  of  the  stream.  While  I  was  busy 
bleeding  the  doe,  I  heard  a  low  growl  immediately  above, 
and  upon  looking  up,  saw  a  panther  with  the  bristles 
on  its  back  all  standing,  and  glancing  down  at  me,  as  if 
not  perfectly  understanding  whether  there  was  any  danger 
to  be  apprehended  or  not. 

"  I  knew  that  the  brute  was  going  to  leap  upon  me  in 
another  instant,  and  raising  my  rifle,  pulled  the  trigger, 
just  as  the  dark  figure  left  the  tree.  She  was  shot  through 
the  side,  the  bullet  coming  out  and  striking  the  trunk  of 
the  tree.  I  could  hear  it  plainly.  The  brute  spasmodi- 
cally drew  herself  together,  and  laid  for  a  moment  abso- 
lutely motionless,  excepting  that  her  tail  was  gently  oscil- 
lating, just  as  you  have  often  seen  a  house-cat  when 
watching  a  mouse-hole.  This  gave  me  time  to  load  again, 
which  I  did  immediately,  and  taking  careful  aim,  hit  her 
in  the  eye  and  stretched  her  out  cold. 


154  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

"  All  that  saved  me  from  a  furious  attack,  and  probable 
death,  was  her  wavering  for  a  moment  to  get  into  position 
for  another  spring,  which  gave  me  time  to  load  my  gun. 

"  I  was  scared  when  I  saw  that  I  had  not  killed  her 
with  my  first  bullet,  and  expected  to  have  a  hand-to-hand 
struggle  with  the  ferocious  beast,  but  fortune  was  on  my 
side,  and  I  did  not  get  even  a  scratch. 

"  Now  comes  the  funny  part  of  the  adventure.  While 
the  panther  was  entertaining  me,  half  a  dozen  mountain 
wolves,  attracted  by  the  scent  of  the  doe's  blood,  were 
soon  drawn  to  the  spot  where  she  lay,  and  devoured  every 
morsel  of  it,  as  I  was  unable  to  pay  any  attention  to  them, 
although  I  could  hear  them  growl  and  snap,  not  a  hun- 
dred yards  away.  We  had  to  go  without  meat  again  that 
night,  but  had  excellent  luck  next  day. 

"  My  father  had  an  exciting  experience  to  which  I  was 
a  witness,  for  I  was  with  him  at  the  time.  It  was  when 
I  first  returned  from  St.  Louis  and  made  my  initial  trap- 
ping-trip with  him. 

"  It  was  on  the  upper  Arkansas  river  where  we  estab- 
lished our  trapping-camp,  and  had  with  us  as  partners 
two  more  old  mountaineers,  whose  names  I  have  forgotten. 

"  Father  had  heard  somehow  that  the  commanding  offi- 
cer of  the  regular  troops  stationed  at  Santa  Fe,  New 
Mexico,  was  desirous  of  obtaining  a  young  panther,  and 
that  he  would  pay  fifty  dollars  for  it. 

"We  talked  the  subject  over  in* camp,  and  father  said 


CAPTURING  A  YOUNG  PANTHER  155 

he  was  going  to  try  and  get  a  young  cat  and  the  fifty  dol- 
lars. 

u  One  afternoon,  we  heard  the  mewing  of  a  young 
panther,  not  very  far  from  our  camp,  and  we  all  started 
for  the  direction  from  which  the  sound  seemed  to  come, 
and  presently  arrived  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  not  a  great  dis- 
tance off,  whegre,  sure  enough,  high  up  on  one  of  the 
branches,  we  discovered  the  little  animal.  It  was  not 
more  than  six  weeks  old,  and  father  at  once  began  prep- 
arations for  securing  it.  He  sent  me  back  to  camp  for  a 
lariat.  I  returned  very  shortly  with  it,  and  father  buckled 
his  belt  tighter,  put  his  hunting-knife  in  it,  and  began 
to  cautiously  climb  the  tree,  placing  the  rope  around  his 
shoulders.  It  was  nearly  twenty-five  feet  to  the  first  limb, 
but  he  was  a  good  climber,  and  soon  reaching  it,  sat  down 
on  it  to  take  breath  and  feel  if  his  knife  was  all  right. 
He  then  looked  up,  and  saw  that  the  young  cat  was  still 
motionless,  and  clinging  to  the  same  branches  as  at  first. 

"  Then,  using  the  other  limbs  as  natural  steps,  father 
ascended  quickly  and  lightly  toward  the  kitten,  which, 
though  it  did  not  move  in  the  least,  still  kept  its  fiery  eyes 
on  its  approaching  foe. 

"  But  unknown  to  any  of  us,  wilder  eyes  than  those 
of  the  young  one  were  watching  my  father's  progress. 
The  grim  and  dangerous  enemy  was  none  other  than  the 
mother  of  the  kitten,  which  lay  with  tail  gently  waving 
on  the  limb  of  a  dead  tree  standing  alongside  of  the  cot- 


156  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

tonwood  on  which  father  was,  with  its  branches  interlac- 
ing it. 

"  The  old  panther  was  apparently  ready  to  spring, 
seemingly  only  waiting  until  the  distance  was  lessened 
between  father  and  her  kitten,  before  she  would  make  the 
leap  and  throw  herself,  teeth  and  claws,  upon  the  auda- 
cious man  who  would  dare  to  seize  her  offspring. 

"  Carelessly  swinging  from  limb  to  limb,  father  was 
soon  under  the  young  one,  which  began  to  raise  itself 
gently,  after  the  fashion  of  the  domestic  cat  with  its  back 
up,  and  stood  on  the  branch  looking  down  upon  father, 
as  if  not  perfectly  comprehending  the  danger  to  be  ap- 
prehended from  him. 

"  Father,  seeing  now  that  he  was  in  the  position  he  de- 
sired, took  the  lariat  from  around  his  shoulder,  and  form- 
ing it  into  a  noose  with  which  to  throw  over  the  kitten's 
head,  steadied  himself  between  two  limbs,  and  looking  up 
for  the  proper  moment  to  land  his  rope,  saw  for  the  first 
time,  directly  opposite  him,  and  hardly  ten  yards  from 
where  he  stood,  the  glowing  eyes  of  the  now  enraged 
mother  as  she  bent  down  for  the  fatal  spring ! 

"  The  reason  why  none  of  us  had  seen  the  old  one  be- 
fore was,  that  the  leaves  on  the  cottonwood  were  very 
thick,  as  it  was  the  height  of  thejr  unfolding,  and  we 
never  thought  of  looking  into  the  dead  tree  alongside  it. 

"  Father  had  presence  of  mind  enough  to  realize  the 
situation  he  found  himself  in,  and  called  to  me,  but  I 
had  fortunately  at  the  same  instant  caught  sight  of  the 


A    GLOBE    CALL  157 

brute,  and  raising  my  rifle,  fired  just  as  the  dark  figure 
of  the  mother  made  her  leap. 

"  The  beast,  pierced  by  the  bullet,  gathered  herself,  and 
sprang  from  branch  to  branch  until  she  had  reached  the 
topmost  limb,  where,  the  thin  foliage  not  being  able  to 
sustain  her,  she  tumbled  to  the  ground,  dead. 

"  Father,  now  happily  relieved  from  his  perilous  posi- 
tion, perfectly  cool,  as  he  always  was,  under  the  most 
trying  circumstances,  threw  his  rope  so  accurately  that  it 
caught  the  kitten  just  back  of  its  shoulder-blades,  when, 
bracing  himself,  he  jerked  it  off  the  limb,  and  carefully 
holding  on  to  the  coil  of  the  lariat,  let  the  kitten  down 
slowly,  which  I  secured  as  soon  as  it  touched  the  ground. 

"  Then  father  descended,  and  we  tied  the  kitten  firmly 
by  all  its  legs.  He  then  sent  me  to  camp  for  a  pony,  while 
hq  waited  and  watched  his  prize.  As  soon  as  I  returned, 
he  tossed  the  kitten  over  the  front  of  the  saddle,  and 
mounting,  we  rode  back  to  camp,  where  we  arrived  about 
sundown,  it  having  taken  several  hours  to  accomplish  the 
capture  of  the  young  panther. 

"  The  kitten,  however,  did  not  live  to  reach  Santa  Fe, 
having  died  of  stubbornness, — refusing  to  drink  the  milk 
offered  it  at  the  several  ranches  on  the  trail ;  so  father  had 
all  his  trouble  for  nothing.  But  it  was  an  exciting  ad- 
venture, all  the  same." 

The  little  party  now  broke  up,  Summerfield  and  Bur- 
ton going  to  their  camp,  after  having  been  told  they  need 


158  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

not  hurry  in  the  morning,  for  if  they  got  away  by  ten  or 
eleven  o'clock  they  would  be  in  time  to  make  their  camp 
on  Bluff  creek,  only  a  day's  ride  from  where  Norman 
had  seen  the  herd  of  buffalo. 

The  boys  all  retired  in  a  happy  state  of  mind  over  their 
prospective  start  for  a  buffalo-hunt  on  the  morrow,  but 
Summerfield  and  Burton  did  not  get  asleep  until  long  after 
midnight,  for  talking  about  it. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  BOYS  START  ON  TIIEIE  BUFFALO-HUNT. DUCK-SHOOT- 
ING.  CAMP   ON   THE   WALNUT. ATTACKED  BY  A  PACK 

OF  GBAY  WOLVES. THE  EFFECT  OF  BUKNT  GUNPOWDER. 

CAMP    ON    HACKBERRY    CKEEK. PIERRE      SHOOTS      A 

WILD     TURKEY     FOR     SUPPER. THE     BUFFALO-HUNT. 

THE  NORTHER. LOST  ON  THE  PRAIRIE. BURTON  FOL- 
LOWS WRONG  STAR. RUNS  INTO  A  COMANCHE  VILLAGE. 

CAPTURED    BY    THE    SAVAGES. BROUGHT    BEFORE    A 

SUBORDINATE  CHIEF. GUARDED  CLOSELY  BY  WARRIORS. 

THE     MORNING     COUNCIL. RED     BEAR,      THE     HEAD 

CHIEF. TOLD  THEY  WOULD  NOT  BE  KILLED. LEARN- 
ING TO  SHOOT  WITH  BOW  AND  ARROWS. NEGRO  CAP- 
TIVES.  INDIAN  PECULIARITIES. THE  COMANCHES. 

DRESS    OF    THE    MEN    AND    WOMEN. THE    BOYS    ARE 

FITTED  WITH  NEW  SUITS. 

THE  next  morning  after  breakfast,  Pierre  and  Car- 
los went  out  to  the  herd  and  drove  five  ponies  up 
to  the  dugout.     Four  of  these  had  been  thoroughly 
trained  to  hunt  buffalo ;  the  fifth  was  to  be  used  as  a  pack- 
animal  to  transport  what  meat  they  might  want  to  bring 
home,  and  the  buffalo  head  for  Summerfield  to  take  to 
Boston  with  him.     Summerfield  and  Burton's  own  horses 
had  never  been  trained,  so  they  rode  two  belonging  to  the 
Delahoydes,  that  would  know  just  what  was  expected  of 
them  when  they  got  close  to  a  herd  of  the  great  shaggy 

(159) 


160  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

beasts;  theirs  were  to  be  left  in  charge  of  the  Mexican 
until  the  party  returned. 

About  the  middle  of  the  forenoon,  Summerfield  came  up 
to  the  dugout  for  the  animals  he  and  Burton  were  to  ride, 
and  leading  them  back  to  the  camp,  soon  returned 
mounted,  accompanied  by  his  partner. 

A  coffeepot  and  four  tin  cups  were  fastened  to  the  pack- 
animal's  saddle,  and  that  was  about  all  he  was  to  be  bur- 
dened with,  as  the  boys  intended  to  use  their  hunting- 
knives  instead  of  carrying  others  along,  and  in  place  of 
a  frying-pan,  to  cook  their  meat  before  the  campfire  on 
small  limbs  of  trees. 

The  Boston  young  men  took  dinner  at  the  dugout,  and 
in  about  half  an  hour  after  it  was  concluded,  all  wore 
ready  to  start. 

"  Have  you  everything  you  will  need  ?"  asked  their 
mother,  as  Pierre  and  Carlos  swung  themselves  into  their 
saddles. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  Pierre ;  "  our  wants  will  be 
few." 

"  You  're  sure  you  've  got  your  flint  and  steel,1  Pierre  ?  " 
inquired  his  father  anxiously ;  "  that 's  the  most  important 
of  all." 

1  Flint  and  steel  were  used  before  the  introduction  of  matches,  and  continued  to  be 
part  of  an  old  trapper's  or  hunter's  outfit  long  after  the  latter  were  invented.  The 
steel  was  simply  a  short  piece  of  good  steel,  and  the  flint  a  piece  of  pure  silica  such  as 
could  be  picked  up  anywhere  near  the  margin  of  a  stream,  or  even  on  the  open  prairie 
In  the  vicinity  of  rocks.  Fire  was  made  by  striking  the  flint  on  the  steel ;  the  sparks 
generated  by  the  friction  communicated  to  a  bit  of  soft  rag,  generally  cotton,  or  dry 
splinters  of  wood,  or  grass,  as  the  case  might  be.  It  was  more  reliable  on  the  Plains 
and  in  the  mountains  than  matches,  for  the  latter  were  easily  affected  by  the  damp 
weather,  and  became  useless. 


START    ON    A   BUFFALO-HUNT  161 

"  It 's  right  here,"  replied  Pierre,  as  he  struck  his 
hand  on  the  place  where  his  pocket  was  in  his  buckskin 
jacket.  "  Good-bye,"  continued  he,  as  he  led  out  toward 
the  river-bank. 

"  Good-bye,"  was  reechoed  by  Summer  field  and  Burton, 
as  the  little  party  rode  away  from  the  ranch,  full  of  spir- 
its, laughing  and  chatting, —  not  imagining  they  would 
not  look  upon  it  again  until  many  weary  months  of  ex- 
citement, hardship  and  adventure  had  passed. 

"A  good  thirty-mile  ride  before  to  us  to  where  we  shall 
camp  to-night,"  said  Pierre ;  "  for  Norman  must  have 
struck  the  Arkansas  at  the  main  ford.  A  splendid  place ; 
plenty  of  dry  wood,  good  grass  for  the  animals,  and  a 
fine  spring  of  water." 

"  I  suppose  he  saw  the  big  herd  of  buffalo  not  far  south 
of  the  riveo*  ?"  said  Carlos. 

"  I  so  understood  him  when  he  told  Dad  about  them. 
And  if  they  are  there  we  can  have  a  fine  hunt  and  get 
back  home  by  dark  the  fourth  night." 

"  What  do  you  expect  to  kill  for  supper  ?"  asked  Burton 
of  Pierre.  "  I  don't  suppose  it  will  be  rabbits,  as  we 
have  no  dogs  along  to  flush  them." 

"Birds,"  laconically  answered  Pierre.  "Either  ducks 
or  sandpipers.  No  danger  of  our  going  to  bed  hungry." 

"  No,  indeed,"  said  Carlos ;  "  our  trail  runs  right  along 
the  river  the  whole  distance  to  the  ford,  excepting  a  little 
cut-across,  where  it  makes  a  bend  below  Spring  crock ;  you 
—  11 


162  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

remember  where  we  set  our  trot-line  the  day  we  went  fish- 
ing last  week  ?  " 

"  I  'd  rather  kill  some  blue-winged  teal,"  said  Pierre, 
"  because  if  we  can  get  five  or  six, —  and  we  may  at  one 
shot, —  it  will  be  enough  for  both  breakfast  and  supper. 
So  keep  your  eyes  skinned  for  ducks  upon  the  river,  boys. 
We  '11  have  buffalo  for  our  dinner  to-morrow,  sure,  I 
think." 

They  had  passed  the  little  cut-across,  as  Carlos  had 
called  the  detour,  and  got  back  to  the  river  again,  when 
Burton,  whose  faculty  for  observation  was  very  acute, 
suddenly  stopped  his  pony,  pulled vup  on  his  bridle-reins, 
and  pointing  to  a  spot  under  some  overhanging  trees, 
about  five  hundred  yards  up-stream,  said,  "  Pierre,  I 
think  that  there  is  pur  supper  and  breakfast,  too." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  Pierre,  "  a  flock  of  blue-winged 
teal,  sure !  Let 's  halt  here,  and  I  '11  crawl  up  on  them." 

The  boys  all  stopped,  and  Pierre  dismounted,  letting 
his  pony  stand, — it  had  been  trained  to  stay  just  where  it 
was  left,  when  on  a  hunting  expedition, —  and  cautiously 
walked  along  the  trail.  As  he  neared  the  ducks  that  were 
swimming  along,  totally  unconscious  of  approaching  dan- 
ger, he  crept  into  the  thick  willows  that  bordered  the 
water,  his  comrades  watching  him  intently  until  he  dis- 
appeared. 

In  a  few  moments  they  heard  the  discharge  of  his  gun, 
and  then  saw  him  emerge  from  the  copse,  holding  in  one 
hand  a  bunch  of  birds. 


CAMPING   FOR   THE    NIGHT  163 

"  How  many  ? "  sang  out  Summerfield,  as  he  came 
within  hailing  distance. 

"  Seven,  and  all  at  one  shot !  "  answered  Pierre,  who, 
when  he  reached  his  pony,  tied  the  birds  to  the  cantle  of 
his  saddle,  and  they  all  rode  on. 

They  saw  lots  of  all  kinds  of  game  on  the  way,  but  not 
caring  to  waste  any  ammunition,  and  having  enougli 
meat  to  last  them  until  the  morrow,  they  passed  the  time 
in  chatting,  and  arrived  at  the  Fort  Sill  ford  about  six 
o'clock. 

They  chose  their  camp  close  to  the  spring;  and  while 
Pierre  and  Carlos  picketed  out  the  ponies,  Summerfield 
and  Burton  began  preparations  for  supper,  as  all  were 
fearfully  hungry. 

By  the  time  that  Carlos  and  his  brother  returned,  the 
two  Bostonians  had  the  coffee  boiling,  the  ducks  skinned, 
cut  up,  and  ready  for  each  one  to  broil  his  own  portion 
before  the  now  brightly  glowing  embers. 

While  the  birds  were  slowly  cooking,  Pierre  said,  "  Fel- 
lows, we  will  have  to  tie  our  ponies  in  to-night,  as  we  have 
no  dogs  to  watch  them,  and  the  wolves  might  get  after 
them  if  left  away  out  on  the  prairie.  So,  after  they  've 
filled  themselves,  we  '11  bring  them  in  and  fasten  them  near 
where  we  sleep." 

After  supper  was  disposed  of  with  great  relish,  Pierre 
told  the  boys  that  they  must  gather  lots  of  wood.  "  We  '11 
have  to  keep  up  a  fire  all  night,  for  if  there  are  buffalo 
near  us  there  's  bound  to  be  lots  of  wolves  hanging  around 


164  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

the  herd,  and  they  're  just  as  liable  to  pay  us  a  visit  as 
not." 

Acting  upon  Pierre's  suggestion,  the  boys  all  willingly 
pitched  in,  gathered  xgreat  quantities  of  limbs  of  the  trees 
which  had  been  blown  down  by  the,  wind,  and  portions  of 
the  dried  trunks,  until  they  had  collected  more  than  two 
cords. 

"  I  guess  that 's  enough,  isn  't  it,  Carl  ?  "  inquired 
Pierre,  depending  somewhat  upon  his  brother's  judgment. 

"  Yes,  but  don't  let  us  make  the  fire  too  near  where  we 
are  going  to  sleep ;  it 's  fearfully  hot  down  here  in  the  tim- 
ber, anyhow,"  replied  Carlos. 

"  Well,  we  '11  put  it  a  dozen  yards  off,  then,"  said  Pierre. 

It  was  now  just  dusk,  and  noticing  the  ponies  were 
standing  at  the  ends  of  their  picket-ropes  lazily  swinging 
their  heads  and  switching  their  tails  to  keep  away  the 
gnats  and  mosquitoes,  which  were  thick  out  on  the  prairie, 
Pierre  said:  "We  had  best  bring  in  the  ponies  now; 
they  're  full,  and  we  want  to  get  them  tied  up  before  it 
grows  too  dark  to  see." 

So  all  went  out,  brought  the  animals  in,  and  after  tying 
them  to  trees  close  to  where  they  had  spread  out  the  sad- 
dle-blankets to  sleep  on,  Summerfield  and  Burton  lighted 
their  pipes,  Carlos  and  Pierre  sitting  on  their  robes,  and 
they  commenced  to  talk.  The  conversation  opened  imme- 
diately upon  a  subject  that  was  uppermost  in  the  minds  of 
the  young  Bostonians — the  proposed  buffalo-hunt. 


SIGNS   OF   BUFFALO  165 

"How  far  east,"  asked  Summer  field  of  Pierre,  "can 
you  find  the  buffalo  now  ?  " 

"  Well,  Dad  says  he  doubts  if  any  have  been  seen  east  of 
a  line  drawn  north  and  south,  cutting  the  Arkansas  at  the 
Big  Bend  of  that  river,  for  a  great  many  years.  West 
of  there,  clear  to  the  foothills  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
he  says,  as  late  as  sixteen  years  ago,  the  whole  country 
seemed  fairly  blocked  with  the  shaggy  animals;  an  im- 
mense moving  mass,  which  made  the  very  earth  tremble 
with  their  clattering  hoofs  when  from  some  cause  they 
were  stampeded.  Kow,  there  are  not  half  as  many  as 
there  used  to  be,  even  within  my  own  recollection  of  thir- 
teen or  fourteen  years;  besides,  they  are  getting  scarcer 
every  season." 

"  By  the  signs  around  here  out  on  the  prairie,  that  I 
noticed  when  Pierre  and  I  went  to  picket  the  ponies,  a 
big  herd  had  been  in  the  vicinity  very  recently,"  said 
Carlos. 

"  Yes,  only  as  late  as  yesterday ;  for  I  could  see  the 
fresh  trails  leading  down  to  the  river  where  they  went  to 
drink,  You  need  not  be  afraid  that  we  shall  not  have  all 
the  sport  with  them  we  want,  to-morrow." 

Then  Pierre  said :  "  It 's  about  time  to  turn  in ;  now 
who's  going  to  stand  guard  first  to-night?  " 

"  Let  me !  "  promptly  replied  Summerfield.  "  I  do  so 
want  to." 

"  All  right,  then,"  said  Pierre ;  "  as  we  shall  start  out 


166  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

on  our  hunt  at  daylight,  or  as  soon  as  we  eat  breakfast, 
it  will  be  less  than  two  hours  apiece  for  us.  What  time 
is  it  now,  Summerfield  ?  " 

Summerfield  looked  at  his  watch,  and  replied,  "  Just 
half -past  eight." 

"  Well,  then,  your  turn  begins  now,"  said  Pierre,  ad- 
dressing himself  to  Summerfield ;  "  and  at  half-past  ten, 
call  me;  at  half -past  twelve,  Carl  goes  on;  at  half -past 
two,  Burton  will  take  his  turn, — but  before  his  two  hours 
are  ended  we  shall  all  be  up,  as  daylight  comes  then." 

"  That  will  give  us  plenty  of  sleep,"  said  Carlos ;  "  and 
the  time  will  fly  when  you  're  on  guard  in  camp, — it  al- 
ways seems  so  to  me,  anyhow." 

The  three  boys  then  laid  down  on  their  saddle-blankets, 
while  Summerfield,  seating  himself  on  a  stump  a  short 
distance  from  the  fire,  his  rifle  resting  between  his  knees, 
commenced  to  puff  vigorously  at  his  pipe,  while  he  mused 
over  the  strange  situation  in  which  he  found  himself.  He 
rather  enjoyed  the  perfect  stillness  of  his  surroundings, 
as  he  watched  the  stars  twinkle  so  brightly  in  the  clear  at- 
mosphere, for  he  was  inclined  to  love  solitude,  and  was 
always  contented  when  alone  with  his  thoughts. 

Occasionally  he  would  get  up  and  stroll  around,  his 
rifle  on  his  shoulder,  real  army-sentry  fashion ;  sometimes 
go  to  where  his  companions  were  wrapped  in  deep  slum- 
ber on  their  single  blanket,  with  heads  resting  on  their 
saddles  for  a  pillow,  the  ground  their  bed  and  the  heavens 
their  canopy. 


GRAY   WOLVES  167 

After  lie  had  smoked  two  or  three  pipefuls,  and  wan- 
dered around  the  camp  several  times,  he  looked  at  his 
watch  to  learn  how  the  time  was  progressing,  when  to 
his  surprise  he  saw  that  it  was  already  quarter-past  ten. 
lie  thought  that  he  had  been  on  guard  only  about  twenty 
minutes,  so  rapidly  did  the  hours  pass  to  him. 

"  Well,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  I  '11  take  just  one  more 
smoke,  then  call  Pierre,  and  turn  in  for  a  little  sleep." 

He  had  scarcely  seated  himself  on  his  favorite  stump 
and  pulled  out  his  tobacco-pouch,  before  he  heard,  far 
away,  a  sound  similar  to  that  heard  on  the  night  of  the 
turkey-hunt,  when  the  coyotes  were  after  the  birds  they 
killed  and  were  fighting  over  them  down  at  the  roost. 

Summerfield  listened  intently.  The  noise  grew  more 
distinct  in  volume,  the  yelping  hoarser  than  that  of  coy- 
otes, and  he  knew  that,  whatever  it  emanated  from,  it 
was  coming  nearer  each  moment ;  so  he  determined  to 
apprise  Pierre  of  the  fact.  He  was  just  about  to  call  him, 
when  Pierre  suddenly  jumped  up,  and  punching  Carlos 
gently  with  his  foot,  exclaimed,  "  A  pack  of  gray  wolves ! 
Don't  you  hear  them  ?  " 

Carlos  was  on  his  feet  in  a  second,  rifle  in  hand,  and  in 
a  minute  all  the  boys  had  gathered  around  the  fire,  as 
the  ferocious  animals  were  evidently  rapidly  approach- 
ing camp. 

"  Look  at  the  ponies !  "  said  Pierre ;  "  how  they  tremble 
and  pull  at  their  lariats,  trying  to  stampede.  Carl,  go 


168  THE    DELAHOYDES 

and  speak  to  them, — they  know  as  well  as  we  what 's  com- 
ing." 

Carlos  ran  to  where  the  ponies  were  fastened,  and 
tried  to  soothe  them  by  patting  their  necks  and  talking 
to  them.  It  had  the  effect  of  quieting  them  in  a  moment, 
when  he  returned  and  took  his  place  with  the  other  boys. 

Carlos  had  scarcely  arrived  at  the  fire,  when  ten  of 
the  ugly  brutes  came  into  plain  view,  growling,  snapping 
and  whining,  as  they  were  balked  by  the  sight  of  the 
young  hunters  and  the  blaze  of  the  campfire  that  shot 
high  in  the  air, — Summerfield  having  thrown  on  a  supply 
of  fresh  fuel  at  the  instant  of  their  emerging  from  the 
timber. 

"  Let 's  kill  them,"  said  Burton,  as  he  brought  his  rifle 
to  his  shoulder. 

"  No !  no !  "  said  Pierre ;  "  we  have  n't  any  ammunition 
to  waste  that  way.  We  can  get  rid  of  them  without  killing 
them.  Throw  a  little  loose  powder  out  of  your  flask  into 
the  fire,  Burton;  the  smell  of  burning  powder  is  dreaded 
by  nearly  all  wild  animals." 

Sure  enough,  as  Burton  poured  a  little  powder  into  his 
hand  and  tossed  it  into  the  flames,  which  leaped  into  the 
air  doubly  brilliant,  with  a  howl  of  evident  rage  and  dis- 
appointment the  wolves  all  "  turned  tail,"  and  darted 
away  into  the  shadow  of  the  timber;  nor  did  they  return. 

The  boys  as  they  stood  at  the  fire  could  still  hear  their 
snarling  as  they  rapidly  retreated,  the  sound  each  moment, 
however,  growing  fainter,  until  it  finally  ceased  altogether. 


PIERRE   ON   GUARD  169 

"  Well,  those  confounded  wolves  have  upset  all  our  ar- 
rangements," said  Pierre.  "  What  time  is  it,  Summer- 
field?" 

Summerfield  drew  out  his  watch,  held  its  face  toward 
the  fire,  and  replied,  "  Half-past  one." 

"  Let  me  take  your  watch  now,"  continued  Pierre ; 
"  you  and  the  others  go  try  and  get  a  little  sleep ;  I  '11 
stand  guard  until  half -past  three;  then  it  will  be  almost 
daybreak.  We  '11  get  some  breakfast  while  the  ponies  are 
grazing,  and  be  off  as  soon  as  they  are  filled  up,  for  day- 
light will  be  here  by  that  time." 

All  excepting  Pierre  threw  themselves  on  their  blankets, 
and  in  a  few  moments  were  sound  asleep.  Pierre  then 
walked  to  where  the  ponies  were  tied,  spoke  a  few  words 
to  them,  although  they  were  perfectly  quiet,  returned  to 
the  fire,  threw  on  some  more  fuel,  and  sat  down  on  a  stump 
with  his  rifle  ready  for  any  emergency. 

~Not  a  sound  now  disturbed  the  stillness  of  the  little 
camp,  excepting  the  occasional  mewing  of  a  lynx  down 
in  the  heavy  timber,  or  the  hooting  of  an  owl  perched  on 
the  limb  of  some  blasted  tree  near  by,  and  the  crackling  of 
the  fire  when  Pierre  added  fresh  fuel. 

Some  boys  would  have  felt  very  lonely  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, but  not  so  with  Pierre,  who  with  his  brother 
had  been  reared  from  infancy  in  the  solitude  of  the  remote 
Plains.  There  is  an  old  saying  that  "  The  nearer  we  get 
to  Mother  Earth,  the  more  we  love  her,"  and  it  was  fully 


170  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

realized  by  both  Pierre  and  Carlos,  whose  lives  had  been 
passed  in  the  closest  communion  with  Nature. 

Pierre  walked  around  and  sat  down  by  turns,  musing 
upon  the  subject  that  occupied  his  thoughts, — to  give  his 
young  guests  as  much  sport  as  possible  on  their  contem- 
plated buffalo-hunt. 

Throwing  some  wood  on  the  fire,  which  had  burned 
low  while  he  was  thinking,  as  it  blazed  up  again  he  drew 
out  Summerfield's  watch,  and  looking  at  it,  was  rather 
surprised  to  find  it  was  almost  a  quarter  to  four  o'clock. 
Then  casting  his  eyes  toward  the  eastern  horizon,  he  no- 
ticed the  first  faint,  rosy  streaks  of  light,  announcing  the 
approaching  dawn. 

He  said  to  himself,  as  he  put  the  watch  back  into  his 
pocket:  "I'll  not  wake  up  Burton;  let  them  all  rest; 
they  're  pretty  well  tired  out,  and  I  could  n't  sleep  any 
more  now  if  I  tried.  I  '11  picket  out  the  ponies  myself, 
then  put  the  coffeepot  on,  and  when  it  boils,  call  the  boys." 

He  then  took  out  two  of  the  ponies  at  a  time,  picketed 
them  on  a  spot  of  fresh  grass,  came  back  for  two  more, 
and  at  last  led  the  pack-animal  out.  Returning,  he  went 
to  the  spring,  washed  himself,  filled  the  coffeepot,  put  it 
on  the  fire,  and  sat  down  again  on  the  stump. 

In  a  few  moments  the  pot  began  to  sing,  and  as  day 
was  rapidly  approaching,  Pierre  stirred  up  his  compan- 
ions, who  stretched  and  yawned,  but  soon  realizing  where 
they  were,  they  jumped  up  in  a  hurry,  ran  to  the  spring 
and  washed,  then  returned  to  the  fire,  ready  to  help  picket 


BREAKFAST  IN   CAMP  171 

out  the  ponies;  but  upon  looking  where  they  had  been  tied 
the  evening  before,  noticed  they  were  gone,  and  saw  them 
grazing  peacefully  out  on  the  open  prairie. 

"  Why,  Pierre,"  said  Summerfield  and  Burton,  "  you 
did  n't  call  us  to  help  you  with  the  animals !  " 

"  That 's  all  right.  I  did  n't  want  to  sleep,  so  I  thought 
I  might  just  as  well  let  you  boys  get  all  you  could." 

"  Well,  I  'm  much  obliged  for  your  kindness,"  said 
Burton ;  "  for  to  tell  the  truth,  I  never  was  so  tired  out 
and  sleepy  in  all  my  life,  that  I  can  recollect  of." 

The  ducks,  which  had  been  prepared  the  evening  before 
and  placed  in  the  spring  to  keep  them  sweet,  were  now 
brought  to  the  fire,  where  each  one  took  his  portion  and 
broiled  it,  and  with  the  coffee  made  a  good  breakfast. 

Pierre  watched  the  ponies  to  see  when  they  had  filled 
themselves,  which  would  be  as  soon  as  they  should  have 
stopped  grazing  and  swung  at  the  end  of  their  lariats. 

It  was  a  whole  hour  after  breakfast  before  the  animals 
ceased  to  feed,  and  almost  six  o'clock  when  they  were 
saddled  ready  to  start  on  the  hunt. 

The  boys  took  a  straight  line  south  from  the  Arkansas, 
and  after  having  ridden  for  about  ten  miles  without  seeing 
the  first  evidence  of  the  presence  of  a  large  herd,  Pierre 
said,  "  I  'm  afraid  that  something  has  stampeded  them, 
and  we  may  have,  to  go  clear  to  the  Hackberry  before  we 
find  them." 

"  How  far  is  it  to  the  Hackberry  ?  "  asked  Summer- 
field. 


172  THE    DELAHOYDES 

"About  thirty  miles,  isn't  it,  Carl?"  replied  Pierre, 
referring  to  his  brother. 

"  All  of  that,"  said  Carlos,  "  and  over  a  dry  country, 
too.  If  we  don't  see  them  by  the  time  we  reach  the  creek, 
we  can  rest  there,  eat  our  dinner,  graze  the  ponies,  and 
then  go  ahead, — as  I  'm  for  keeping  on  until  we  come 
across  the  herd,  if  it  takes  a  week." 

"  Well,  that 's  just  what  we  '11  do ;  but  if  we  don't  come 
up  with  the  herd  by  the  time  we  arrive  at  Hackberry 
creek,  we  will  have  to  shoot  something  to  eat  for  our  din- 
ner," said  Pierre. 

"  No  danger  of  our  not  getting  something,  is  there, 
Pierre  ? "  inquired  Burton,  who  was  always  blessed  with 
a  good  appetite. 

"  No,  I  guess  not ;  we  '11  find  something  if  it 's  only  a 
prairie-dog,  and  I  know  there  are  two  or  three  big  vil- 
lages of  the  little  fellows  between  here  and  the  creek," 
replied  Pierre. 

Two  more  hours  passed,  and  it  was  now  after  ten  o'clock. 
The  prairie  was  perfectly  lifeless,  so  far  as  the  presence 
of  animals  was  concerned,  although  the  signs  were  abun- 
dant that  a  vast  concourse  of  buffaloes  had  recently  passed 
over  it. 

The  sun  had  reached  the  meridian;  still  the  ponies 
plodded  wearily  through  the  alkali-dust1  of  the  desert 
region  between  the  Canadian  and  Ilackberry  creek,  and 
not  a  sign  of  buffalo  in  sight. 

1 A  chemical  term.  Employed  on  the  deserts  of  the  world  to  designate  the  white 
dust  of  arid  regions. 


IN    CAMP   ON    HACKBERRY    CREEK  178 

It  was  fully  three  o'clock  before  the  timber  on  Kack- 
berry  appeared,  like  a  dark  line  on  the  distant  horizon, 
over  three  miles  away.  The  hunters  arrived  there  in  an- 
other hour,  selected  a  suitable  spot,  pitched  their  camp, 
and  turned  out  their  jaded  ponies  to  graze.  While  the 
others  were  attending  to  the  animals,  Pierre  went  on  a 
hunt  for  meat. 

The  boys  in  camp  soon  heard  the  report  of  his  rifle, 
and  presently  another  discharge.  In  a  few  minutes  he 
appeared  with  a  wild  turkey,  and  told  them  that  he  had 
missed  the  second  shot  at  one;  but  they  had  enough  with 
the  bird  he  had  killed,  and  more, -too,  than  they  could 
possibly  eat. 

"  How  did  you  come  to  see  them  ?  "  asked  Burton. 

"I  was  walking  along  the  edge  of  the  timber,"  said 
Pierre,  "  when  I  started  up  a  big  flock.  They  did  not 
fly,  but  did  some  tall  marching.  I  tell  you  there  is  no 
bird  that  can  outrun  a  wild  turkey.  They  were  on  one 
side  of  a  little  knoll,  and  I  ran  around  to  head  them  off, 
but  by  the  time  I  got  there  the  turkeys  were  away  ahead, 
nearly  out  of  range.  Luckily,  I  got  one,  but  missed  the 
other  because  he  was  too  far  off  when  I  pulled  trigger." 

They  broiled  the  turkey,  after  cutting  it  into  small 
pieces  so  it  would  cook  quicker,  and,  contrary  to  Pierre's 
statement  that  it  was  more  than  they  could  eat,  every  bit 
was  devoured,  so  hungry  were  all,  after  their  long  and 
wearisome  ride. 

Summerneld  and  Burton  indulged  in  their  usual  smoke; 


174  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

Carlos  laid  down  on  his  blanket  to  rest;  but  the  nover- 
tired  Pierre  took  a  stroll  on  top  of  the  bluff  bordering  the 
creek,  to  see  if  he  could  discover  anything  of  the  buffaloes 
which  he  believed  must  be  somewhere  in  the  vicinity. 

He  was  not  gone  more  than  fifteen  minutes,  when  he 
hurried  back  to  camp  and  announced  to  the  boys  that  the 
whole  •  prairie  beyond  the  creek  was  literally  black  with 
buffaloes. 

In  a  moment  all  were  on  their  feet,  full  of  excitement 
at  the  good  news  Pierre  had  brought  them;  and  Summer- 
field  and  Burton,  had  they  not  been  restrained  by  the 
better  judgment  of  Pierre  and  Carlos,  would  have  jumped 
on  their  worn-out  ponies  and  gone  after  the  herd,  and 
the  chase  would  have  resulted  only  in  failure  and  disap- 
pointment. 

"  We  must  wait,"  Pierre  told  the  nervous  young  men, 
"  until  our  ponies  are  in  condition  to  run ;  that  is  impos- 
sible now.  It  will  take  a  couple  of  hours  at  least  for  them 
to  get  rested  sufficiently  to  do  the  work,  and  then  it  will 
be  only  a  little  after  six  o'clock.  Plenty  of  daylight  to 
kill  all  the  buffaloes  we  want  to,  and  get  a  bull's  head  for 
Summerfield." 

"  It  will  be  much  cooler  then,  too,"  said  Carlos ;  "  this 
has  been  an  awfully  hot  day." 

Six  o'clock  did  not  come  a  moment  too  soon  for  the 
young  Bostonians,  who  all  the  afternoon  had  been  chafing 
at  the  delay;  but  at  last  Pierre  told  them  to  help  get  tho 


KILLING   BUFFALOES  175 

ponies  in,  saddle  lip,  and  then  they  would  start  out  after 
the  buffaloes. 

They  rode  out  of  camp  full  of  excitement,  and  when 
they  arrived  at  the  top  of  the  bluff  and  saw  the  prairie 
beyond  covered  with  the  great  ruminants,  just  as  Pierre 
had  told  them,  their  enthusiasm  knew  no  bounds,  as  they 
rode  around  to  the  leeward  of  the  herd,  which  was  about 
two  miles  distant. 

Coming  up  to  the  herd,  the  ponies,  well  trained  to  the 
business,  ran  after  the  one  which  was  selected  by  each 
of  the  hunters,  and  in  a  few  minutes  three  of  them  were 
killed;  but  one  was  so  old  and  tough  that  when  Pierre 
and  Carlos  dismounted  to  skin  him  with  the  others,  they 
abandoned  him  to  the  wolves,  which  could  be  seen  trailing 
after  the  herd. 

Pierre  succeeded  in  killing  an  enormous  young  bull, 
with  a  magnificent  head  and  horns,  which  he  told  Sum- 
merfield  was  the  best  specimen  he  had  seen  for  a  long 
time,  and  that  when  they  got  to  camp  he  would  fix  it  so  it 
would  keep  until  they  returned  to  the  ranch. 

Summerfield  was  lucky  enough  to  kill  a  very  fat  cow 
which  ran  in  front  of  his  pony.  He  bravely  dashed 
after  her,  but  at  first  only  wounded  her,  the  second  shot 
laying  her  out  cold. 

Burton  missed  altogether,  though  he  fired  several  times 
at  the  running  animals,  his  pony  acting  superbly  in  its 
efforts  to  bring  his  rider  up  to  them,  and  he  was  very 


176  THE   DELAHOYDE8 

much  disgusted  with  himself  when  he  found  out  that  all 
the  rest  of  the  party  had  been  successful  in  bringing  down 
one  or  more  of  the  huge  beasts. 

Summerfield  had  quite  an  adventure  with  a  cow  which 
he  wounded;  she  turned  on  his  pony  and  showed  fight, 
but  he  bravely  loped  around  her,  and  got  in  a  death-shot. 

Night  was  rapidly  coining  on  when  they  had  skinned 
their  game  and  packed  what  they  wanted  of  it  on  the  pony, 
together  with  the  large  head  of  the  bull  which  Pierre  had 
shot  purposely  for  Summerfield. 

They  intended  to  make  camp  on  the  Hackberry  that 
night,  take  a  fresh  start  in  the  morning  for  the  Canadian, 
and  the  next  evening  reach  home. 

Unfortunately,  as  they  rode  away  from  the  field  of  their 
slaughter  a  "  norther "*  began  to  make  its  appearance. 
Black,  ominous-looking  clouds  rolled  up  on  the  western 
horizon,  and  it  suddenly  grew  so  dark  that  the  boys  could 
not  see  the  ground. 

They  were  at  least  ten  miles  south  of  Hackberry  creek, 
the  buffaloes  having  led  them  a  chase  that  distance  before 
they  discontinued  the  slaughter,  and  Pierre  said,  as  he 
noticed  the  coming  storm,  "  I  guess  we  won't  camp  on 
the  Hackberry  very  soon  to-night." 

They  traveled  on  in  the  dismal  fog  which  soon  began 
to  overspread  the  earth,  occasionally  stopping  to  listen 

1 "  Norther  "  18  a  name  given  to  sudden  storms  of  a  very  cold  wind  from  the  north, 
often  accompanied  by  snow.  They  usually  occur  beyond  the  one-hundredth  meridian, 
and  are  not  of  long  duration.  Farther  east  they  are  termed  "  blizzards,"  though  a 
blizzard  differs  In  maay  particulars  from  the  Texas  norther,  principally  In  Its  continu- 
ing for  a  longer  time. 


LOST   IN    THE    STORM  177 

for  the  roar  of  the  creek,  which  Pierre  knew  must  now  be 
swollen;  but  nothing  was  conveyed  to  their  ears  but  the 
whine  of  a  distant  wolf,  and  the  rumbling  of  the  thunder. 

It  is  usually  the  case  that  when  persons  are  lost  on  the 
prairie  they  unconsciously  travel  in  a  circle,  and  it  was 
so  with  the  party  of  young  hunters, — and  very  soon  the 
fact  stared  Pierre  in  the  face  that  he  was  lost! 

Neither  he  nor  Carlos  could  agree  as  to  the  proper  di- 
rection; one  insisted  upon  this  way,  the  other  that,  until 
they  were  both  so  confused  they  did  not  know  which  way 
to  move. 

Fortunately,  they  were  caught  on  the  edge  of  the  norther 
only,  and  it  was  not  so  cold  as  to  make  the  air  uncom- 
fortable, nor  was  the  sky  completely  covered  by  clouds. 
There  were  great  rifts  in  them,  through  which  the  stars 
twinkled  at  times,  but  both  Carlos  and  his  brother  realized 
that  the  region  in  which  they  were  now  was  strange 
to  them.  Not  a  landmark  with  which  they  were  familiar 
could  be  recognized,  and  the  darkness,  which  is  always 
more  bewildering  on  the  open  prairies  than  in  the  forest, 
soon  had  its  effect  on  the  brave  boys, — for  brave  they  were, 
— and  they  knew  they  were  lost. 

It  grew  darker  every  moment,  and  even  the  hundreds 
of  old  buffalo-trails  leading  to  the  streams,  which  those 
animals  followed  to  drink  once  a  day,  became  indiscern- 
ible; and  as  for  catching  a  glimpse  of  the  timber  which 
fringed  many  little  creeks  tributary  to  the  Canadian,  it 
was  impossible. 


178  THE    DELAHOYDES 

At  last  Pierre  pulled  up  on  his  pony,  and  said  to  Car- 
los :  "  Carl,  we  can't  make  Hackberry  to-night ;  let 's 
camp  in  one  of  these  ravines,  and  wait  for  daylight." 

"No !  "  insisted  Carlos ;  "  we  must  make  the  creek,  or 
as  near  to  it  as  we  can.  It  won't  do  to  build  a  fire,  for 
we  are  not  far  from  the  Comanche  country,  and  some  of 
the  Indians  might  see  it,  and  if  they  should  it  would  be 
all  up  with  us." 

Burton  spoke  up,  and  said,  "  We  have  to  go  directly 
north,  don  t  we,  Pierre  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Pierre ;  "  Hackberry  creek  and  the  Ca- 
nadian are  both  north  of  us.  If  we  go  in  that  direction, 
we  are  bound  to  strike  them  somewhere." 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Burton,  "  I  know  the  North  Star1 
when  I  see  it,  and  we  can  guide  ourselves  by  that  if  1 
can  get  a  glimpse  of  the  sky  through  the  rifts  of  the  clouds." 

"All  right,"  said  Pierre;  "pick  out  the  North  Star, 
and  we  '11  follow  on  a  straight  line  for  it.  All  we  have 
to  do  is  to  travel  north,  and  as  long  as  we  reach  the  creek, 
whether  we  come  out  below  the  trail  or  above  it,  we  can 
cross  and  keep  right  on  to  the  Canadian, — for  I  know 
every  inch  of  that  river  for  forty  miles  either  up-  or  down- 
stream." 

Burton  took  a  glance  at  the  heavens,  which  at  that  mo- 
ment happened  to  be  quite  clear  of  clouds  in  the  direction 
he  was  looking,  and  said,  "  Come  on,  fellows, — follow 


me! 


t  » 


i  North  Star,  a  star  at  the  north,  around  which  the  heavens  appear  to  revolve. 


BURTON'S  ASTRONOMY  AT  FAULT  179 

Unfortunately  for  the  young  Bostonian,  although  he 
perhaps  had  a  very  good  knowledge  of  astronomy,  he  se- 
lected a  bright  star  in  the  far  south,  and  unconsciously 
led  his  companions  in  directly  the  opposite  direction  from 
that  in  which  they  should  have  gone. 

On  they  plodded  (their  ponies  giving  evident  signs  of 
leg-weariness,  frequently  stumbling, — an  unusual  thing 
for  them,  as  they  were  very  sure-footed  animals)  for  as 
much  as  ten  miles  more,  vainly  peering  into  the  darkness 
for  some  signs  of  timber  ahead  of  them. 

Pierre  now  cast  his  eyes  to  the  heavens,  and  saw  to  his 
dismay  that  the  star  which  they  had  been  endeavoring  to 
follow  had  passed  far  down  toward  the  western  horizon, 
and  he  stopped  and  said  to  Burton : 

"  That  cannot  be  the  North  Star  you  are  guiding  us 
by.  You  know  it  never  gets  so  low  down." 

Burton  very  unwillingly  had  to  admit  that  Pierre  was 
right,  and  he  felt  much  chagrined  over  the  mistake  he  had 
made. 

Then  they  halted  to  talk  over  the  dilemma  they  found 
themselves  in,  when  Carlos,  who  had  particularly  fine 
eyesight,  said :  "  I  see  campfires  ahead !  " 

All  strained  their  eyes  to  the  place  Carlos  pointed  out 
to  them,  and  sure  enough,  apparently  far  ahead  of  them, 
in  the  direction  in  which  they  had  been  traveling,  they 
distinctly  saw  the  dull  embers  of  half  a  dozen  fires. 

"  Some  buffalo-hunters,  probably,"  said  Pierre.  "  We 
are  all  right  now,  for  we  can  find  from  them  where  we  are, 


180  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

stop  with  them  all  night,  and  get  a  fresh  start  early  in 
the  morning." 

Then,  thus  encouraged,  they  moved  forward  again,  hop- 
ing to  reach  the  camp  in  a  few  minutes,  when  siiddenly 
their  ears  were  almost  deafened  by  the  yelling  of  a  perfect 
canine  cataract  which  came  pouring  around  them  as  they 
naturally  pulled  up  at  the  horrid  din ;  and  the  next  instant 
they  were  surrounded  by  a  dozen  dusky  forms.  They  had 
struck  an  Indian  village,  instead  of  a  hunter's  camp  as 
they  had  hoped! 

Immediately  a  score  of  warriors  closed  upon  them  and 
yelled  at  the  dogs,  which  instantly  skulked  off,  and  our 
young  hunters  found  themselves  captives.  Pierre  told 
Burton  and  Summerfield  he  supposed  they  were  Coman- 
ches. 

"  Keep  up  your  courage,"  said  Carlos ;  "  it  always 
counts,  Dad  says,  among  the  Indians." 

"  Besides,"  said  Pierre,  "  the  Comanches,  Cheyennes, 
Kiowas  and  Arapahoes  are  friendly  with  the  whites,  and 
that  fact  may  help  us  some ;  but  you  never  can  tell  what 
a  savage  is  going  to  do.  They  may  kill  us,  and  may  not." 

While  they  were  conversing  together,  the  warriors  most 
unceremoniously  jerked  them  off  their  ponies,  took  their 
guns  away  from  them,  and  led  them  rather  roughly  to  a 
large  tepee1  in  the  middle  of  the  village;  and  having 

1 "  Tepee  "  Is  the  name  given  by  the  Sloni  to  their  dwellings,  and  Is  now  a  gen- 
eral term  for  any  Indian  lodge.  A  tepee  Is  built  of  from  thirteen  to  seventeen  poles, 
about  three  Inches  In  diameter,  the  ends  of  which  rest  on  the  ground.  They  are  slen- 
der In  shape,  tapering  symmetrically,  and  are  eighteen  feet  or  more  In  length.  The 
number  of  poles  employed  varies  with  the  different  tribes.  They  are  tied  together  at 


CAPTURED    BY  INDIANS  181 

been  told  by  signs  to  enter,  they  saw  a  rather  dignified- 
looking  Indian  smoking  a  long  pipe  and  blowing  the  smoke 
through  his  nostrils. 

The  old  savage  gazed  at  the  boys,  spoke  a  few  words, 
which  of  course  none  of  them  understood,  but  in  a  few 
moments  knew  what  they  meant,  for  the  same  warriors 
who  had  ushered  them  in  carried  them  to  another  lodge, 
where  they  were  bound  by  the  feet. 

Summerfield  and  Burton  thought  that  their  time  had 
come,  surely.  But  the  warriors  laughed  at  them,  and  an 
old  squaw  made  her  appearance  in  the  tepee,  and,  after 
jabbering  a  few  unintelligible  sentences  to  one  of  the 
Indians,  returned  with  some  dried  buffalo-meat  and  a 
bucket  of  water.  Then  the  warrior  who  had  spoken  to 
the  squaw  motioned  to  the  boys  to  eat. 

The  alarm  of  the  young  hunters  somewhat  subsided  at 
this  demonstration  of  friendliness,  because  Pierre  and 
Carlos,  who  were  quite  well  acquainted  with  the  Indian 
character,  said  they  had  been  told  by  their  grandmother 
that  Indians  rarely  feed  a  person  they  intend  to  kill.  The 
Bostonians,  comforted  by  these  encouraging  words,  fell 
to  eating,  as  did  Pierre  and  Carlos,  for  they  were  all  ter- 
ribly hungry,  having  had  nothing  since  their  turkey  diri- 

the  small  ends  with  buffalo-hide  strings,  then  raised  until  the  frame  resembles  a  cone, 
over  which  buffalo  skins  are  placed,  very  nicely  fitted  ;  and  having  been  made  soft  by 
manipulation  with  the  brains  of  the  animals  that  wore  them,  the  skins  are  sewed 
together  with  the  sinews  of  the  buffalo,  taken  from  the  strong  and  long  muscle  that 
holds  up  the  great  head  of  the  beast.  In  summer  the  lower  edges  of  the  skins  are 
rolled  up,  and  the  wind  blowing  through  makes  the  tepee  a  cool  retreat.  In  winter,  of 
course,  everything  Is  closed  tight,  and  the  tepee  Is  quite  a  comfortable  place.  Some 
tribes  build  their  dwellings  of  rushes  and  other  material,  but  the  general  name  of 
"tepee"  is  given  to  the  lodges  of  all  tribes. 


182  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

ner  on  Hackberry  creek  at  four  o'clock  that  afternoon, — 
and  it  was  now  long  past  midnight  by  Summerfield's 
watch,  it  having  as  yet  escaped  the  eyes  of  the  warriors. 

After  they  had  surfeited  themselves — for  there  was  no 
stint  to  the  old  woman's  rations — they  were  told  by  signs 
to  go  to  sleep,  at  the  same  time  being  shown  a  pile  of 
buffalo-robes  in  the  end  of  the  lodge.  They  immediately 
took  possession  of  these,  for  their  worst  fears  were  dissi- 
pated, and  they  soon  fell  asleep,  waiting  for  what  events 
the  morning  might  develop. 

At  sunrise,  which  came  too  quickly  for  the  tired  young 
hunters,  they  were  roused  up  by  one  of  the  warriors  who 
had  been  sent  to  stand  guard  over  them  during  the  night, 
to  prevent  any  possible  attempt  to  escape.  The  painted 
and  feather-bedecked  savage  had  to  shake  them  two  or 
three  times  rather  roughly,  so  sound  was  their  slumber 
after  their  fatiguing  journey  to  the  Indian  camp. 

Breakfast  was  served  to  them  by  the  same  old  squaw, 
which  consisted  of  the  conventional  dried  buffalo-meat 
and  cold  water.  After  finishing  breakfast  they  were  told 
by  signs  to  follow  the  warrior  who  had  awakened  them. 

He  took  them  to  a  magnificent  tepee,  which,  by  its  ap- 
pointments of  rich  furs,  and  the  highly  ornamented  shield 
that  hung  on  a  tripod  before  the  lodge  entrance,  indicated 
that  it  was  the  dwelling  of  the  principal  chief.  He  before 
whom  they  were  brought  the  evening  previous  was  only  a 
subordinate. 

The  boys  entered,  as  they  were  made  to  understand  by 


CHIEF  ' '  BED   BEAR  ' '  183 

signs  they  must,  and  upon  going  in  found  themselves  con- 
fronted by  a  very  large  Indian  with  a  prominent  nose,  «i 
broad,  high  forehead,  his  long  hair  falling  down  to  his 
waist,  braided,  and  ornamented  with  brass  rings  an  inch 
wide,  placed  at  intervals  of  three  or  four  inches. 

Summerileld  and  the  rest  of  the  young  hunters  found 
out  afterward  that  these  rings  were  peculiar  insignia  of 
the  chief,  no  other  of  the  principal  warriors  being  per- 
mitted to  wear  anything  like  them.  Also,  that  when  he 
dressed  in  his  best,  he  wore  on  his  breast  a  polished  copper 
plate  as  big  as  a  dish-pan,  which  glistened  in  the  sun  as 
he  strutted  about  the  village. 

This  chief,  whom  they  learned  was  "  Eed  Bear,"  al- 
ways remained  in  the  village,  only  moving  when  the  tribe 
migrated,  for  he  was  a  very  old  man, — eighty  years  at 
least,  the  boys  thought.  He  had  a  son  who  was  regarded  as 
a  sort  of  chief  too,  and  whose  wife  was  a  white  woman, 
a  raiding  party  of  the  Oomanches  having  captured  her  in 
Texas  some  years  previous  to  the  advent  of  the  young 
hunters  in  the  village. 

Pierre  and  the  other  boys  made  several  attempts  to  talk 
with  her,  but  at  first  were  frustrated  by  the  watchful  sav- 
ages, the  chief  having  forbidden  her  to  hold  any  conver- 
sation with  them. 

There  was  another  white  captive  in  the  village,  who  was 
made  an  interpreter  by  the  chief  for  the  occasion,  which 
was  in  reality  a  council  to  decide  upon  the  fate  of  the 
boys.  He  was  told  to  tell  them  that  if  they  were  not 


184  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

Texans,  would  be  good,  and  not  try  to  run  away,  they 
would  not  be  killed,  but  might  stay  with  the  tribe,  and 
finally  be  adopted  as  members  thereof.  While  the 
interpreter  was  explaining  what  the  old  chief  had  to  say, 
the  latter  pointed  to  a  row  of  relatively  fresh  scalps  which 
hung  on  a  pole  in  his  lodge,  and  said  something,  which 
the  white  captive  immediately  interpreted  as  follows: 
About  three  weeks  before,  four  Mexicans  were  captured 
on  a  raid,  brought  to  the  village,  treated  kindly,  and  sent 
out  to  herd  the  ponies;  but  they  attempted  to  escape. 
Some  warriors  were  sent  after  them  to  bring  them  back, 
but  the  chief  finally  decided  that  as  they  had  started,  only 
their  scalps  must  be  returned  to  the  village;  and  if  the 
boys  tried  to  run  away,  they  would  be  served  in  like  man- 
ner! 

Red  Bear  was  very  impressive  and  decidedly  in  earnest, 
the  young  prisoners  discovered,  and  made  up  their  minds, 
after  conversing  together  alone,  that  the  best  thing  for 
them  to  do  was  to  keep  quiet,  stay  with  the  Indians  with- 
out making  any  fuss,  and  bide  their  time,  for  it  would 
only  be  madness  to  make  any  attempt  to  get  away  at 
present. 

So  the  young  hunters  contented  themselves  as  well  as 
they  could  under  the  circumstances,  gave  a  promise  to 
the  old  chief  that  they  would  "  be  good  "  and  obey  all  his 
orders  just  like  the  other  young  men  of  his  tribe. 

They  were  then  told  that  they  would  not  be  tied  any 
more;  that  a  lodge  would  be  assigned  them,  and  a  squaw 


HERDING   PONIES   FOR   THE   INDIANS  185 

ordered  to  cook  and  work  for  them  as  the  other  braves 
were  waited  upon  by  the  women,  for  men  did  not  work. 
A  warrior  must  only  hunt  and  fight. 

Having  been  assigned  to  a  really  nice  skin  lodge,  not 
very  far  from  that  of  the  chief,  they  were  sent  out  to  herd 
the  ponies,  an  immense  number,  with  some  Indian  boys 
of  about  their  own  age. 

Out  on  the  prairie,  like  all  boys  the  white  captives  and 
their  dusky  companions  soon  got  on  the  most  friendly 
terms,  and  before  noon  on  the  first  day  at  herding,  each 
side  had  picked  up  a  few  words  of  the  other's  language. 

They  were  kept  out  all  day,  and  did  not  get  back  to 
the  village  until  it  was  quite  dark.  Going  to  the  lodge, 
they  found  that  the  squaw  who  had  been  assigned  to  take 
care  of  them  had  provided  an  ample  meal,  of  which  they 
ate  heartily,  for  all  were  exceedingly  hungry  after  their 
romping  and  riding  out  on  the  hot  prairie. 

The  next  morning  they  were  told  that  other  of  the 
young  boys  would  be  detailed  to  herd  that  day,  and  they 
must  begin  to  learn  how  to  become  great  warriors. 

After  breakfast  they  were  escorted  by  some  old  war- 
riors, together  with  about  half  a  dozen  young  bucks,  to 
a  place  out  on  the  prairie,  not  far  from  the  outskirts 
of  the  village,  which  might  properly  be  called  a  training- 
school,  and  the  exercises  they  were  put  through  with  their 
dusky  companions  were  very  amusing  and  exciting. 

When  they  left  their  lodge  for  the  race-course,  as  Sum- 
merfield  afterward  called  it,  they  were  mounted  on  very 


186  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

fast  ponies,  but  as  all  the  white  captives,  particularly 
Pierre  and  his  brother,  who  had  virtually  lived  on  horse- 
back since  they  were  old  enough  to  straddle  an  animal, 
were  perfectly  at  home  when  in  a  saddle,  they  did  not 
have  the  least  fear  when  the  frisky  little  Indian  beasts 
were  given  to  them. 

Arriving  at  the  appointed  place,  they  found  on  each 
side  of  the  track  they  were  to  race  over,  wolf-skins  sewed 
together  and  fashioned  in  the  shape  of  a  man,  which  were 
stretched  out  on  the  prairie.  They  were  given  a  bow  and 
arrows,  and  showed  by  some  of  the  young  Indians  just 
what  they  were  expected  to  do. 

Four  of  the  young  savages  then  went  back  for  a  distance 
of  about  three  hundred  yards  from  the  supposed  enemy, 
then  turned  and  dashed  down  the  track  as  fast  as  their 
ponies  could  be  made  to  go.  When  they  passed  the  skin 
images  each  shot  an  arrow  right  through  it,  by  throwing 
himseilf  on  the  side  of  the  pony,  holding  on  by  his  heel 
against  the  rear  projection  of  the  saddle.  The  left  arm, 
with  a  shield  on  it,  was  thrown  over  the  horse's  neck, 
grasping  the  bow  with  the  arrow  in  the  right  hand.  The 
arrow  must  be  delivered  and  hit  the  image  while  passing 
it,  or  it  did  not  count.  They  also  had  to  learn  to  shoot 
with  the  left  hand  as  well  as  with  the  right. 

Pierre,  Summerfield,  Carlos  and  Burton  went  at  their 
allotted  task  with  much  trepidation, — not  that  they  were 
at  all  afraid,  but  none  of  them  had  had  any  experience 
with  such  a  primitive  weapon  as  a  bow,  consequently  they 


INVETERATE    GAMBLERS  187 

made  some  bad  breaks  in  their  attempts  to  shoot  at  the 
skin  images. 

The  young  savages  and  the  white  captives  got  many  a 
tumble,  at  which  all  would  laugh,  for  the  average  Indian 
boy  is  as  full  of  fun  and  enjoys  a  joke  as  well  as  a  white 
boy. 

The  riding  of  the  young  whites  was  infinitely  better 
than  their  shooting,  at  the  start,  but  after  some  weeks  of 
constant  practice  they  even  excelled  their  dusky  compan- 
ions; for  it  is  a  fact,  that  the  white  man  can  do  anything 
an  Indian  can,  and  always  better,  after  he  learns  how. 

Frequently  bets  were  made  on  the  daily  drills,  of  skins, 
little  trinkets,  and  sometimes  even  of  ponies,  for  the  sav- 
age is  an  inveterate  gambler.  The  young  trapper-boys 
often  came  out  ahead  in  these  friendly  contests,  and  even- 
tually accumulated  quite  a  lot  of  savage  gewgaws,  the  re- 
sult of  their  superiority  in  such  sports. 

One  day,  about  three  months  after  the  boys  had  been 
captured,  and  had  become  quite  proficient  in  the  Comanche 
language,  a  raiding  party  of  warriors  returned  from 
northern  Texas  with  several  prisoners,  among  whom  were 
three  negroes.  They  had  been  slaves  to  a  Cherokee  chief ; 
had  run  away  from  him,  and  while  they  were  trying  to 
reach  Mexico  the  war-party  of  Comanche  warriors  caught 
them.  They  were  on  horseback,  having  animals  they  had 
stolen  from  their  master;  and  why  the  Indians  did  not 
kill  them  might  seem  a  mystery  to  those  who  are  not 
acquainted  with  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  North- 


188  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

American  savage.  They  never  scalp  a  negro  soldier  killed 
in  battle;  say  they  are  "bad  medicine,"  and  call  them 
"  buffalo  soldiers." 

When  the  poor  frightened  negroes  were  brought  before 
old  Ked  Bear  he  was  astonished,  for  he  had  never  before 
seen  a  black  man.  He  asked  Pierre,  to  whom  the  old 
chiej:  had  taken  quite  a  liking,  why  those  men  blacked 
their  faces  and  curled  their  hair.  He  was  even  more 
astonished  when  Pierre  told  him  that  they  were  born  so, 
but  he  would  not  believe  it  until  he  had  rubbed  his  finger 
over  their  faces  and  examined  very  closely  every  portion 
of  their  anatomy.  He  pulled  at  their  hair,  and  woiider- 
ingly  inquired  of  Pierre  how  it  got  so  kinky.  In  fact, 
the  dark-skinned  men  were  a  great  curiosity  to  the  whole 
village, — men,  women  and  children  flocking  to  see  and  ex- 
amine them. 

The  negroes  were  terribly  frightened  all  the  time,  ex- 
pecting they  were  to  be  killed;  but  Pierre  and  Summer- 
field,  who  had  made  a  special  study  of  the  character  of 
their  captors,  assured  them  that  they  would  be  turned 
loose  in  a  few  days,  given  food  and  ponies  and  treated 
kindly,  for  the  Indians  were  rather  inclined  to  regard 
them  as  "  bad  medicine,"  and  were  afraid  to  hurt  them, 
as  it  might  bring  down  upon  the  tribe  some  manifesta- 
tion of  their  god,  who  would  be  angry  if  they  were  hurt. 

In  about  a  week,  as  Pierre  and  Summerficld  had  pre- 
dicted, Red  Bear  sent  for  the  negroes,  and  told  them  that 
as  they  had  had  a  good  rest  now  in  his  village,  they  might 


8QUAW.  MAKES   CLOTHES   FOR   THEM  189 

go  where  they  pleased.  He  ordered  a  big  supply  of  food, 
buffalo-robes  to  sleep  on,  good  ponies  to  ride  were  given 
them,  and  he  sent  a  party  of  eight  of  his  warriors  to  escort 
them  to  the  trail  into  Mexico. 

The  boys  often  went  fishing  with  the  young  Indians, 
and  learned  how  to  catch  trout  with  a  bone  hook.  They 
were  told  one  day  while  out  on  an  excursion  of  this  char- 
acter, that  very  soon  a  party  of  warriors  were  going  on  a 
raid  to  the  Pawnee  country,  to  steal  horses,  and  the  boys 
were  to  go  with  them.  The  Comanches  were  the  most 
accomplished  horse-thieves  of  all  the  Plains  tribes,  and 
their  wealth  consisted  principally  in  the  number,  of  ponies 
they  owned,  as  a  very  large  portion  of  their  lives  was  spent 
on  horseback. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  the  boys'  clothes  soon  be- 
came very  ragged,  particularly  those  of  Summerfield's 
and  Burton's,  which  were  of  cloth,  while  Pierre's  and  his 
brother's,  made  of  the  same  material  as  those  of  the  In- 
dians, were  not  so  badly  worn;  but  the  old  woman  who 
had  charge  of  their  lodge  said  they  all  needed  new  suits, 
and  she  was  charged  with  making  them. 

Of  course,  they  were  to  be  similar  in  every  respect  to 
those  worn  by  the  warriors :  a  buckskin  hunting-shirt, 
reaching  to  the  waist,  and  trousers  of  the  same  material, 
but  made  so  as  to  require  a  breech-cloth,  as  they  do  not 
cover  the  small  of  the  back.  Moccasins  were  the  only 
foot-covering  worn,  but  frequently  they  were  elaborately 
beaded. 


190  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

The  women  of  the  tribe  wear  a  buckskin  petticoat  and 
dress,  reaching  to  the  knee,  and  trousers  like  the  men. 
The  dress  of  the  squaws  is  generally  fringed,  and  the  most 
favored  often  wear  a  handsome  red  blanket  in  addition 
to  the  rest  of  their  costume.  The  women,  as  usual  in  all 
savage  tribes,  perform  all  the  labor.  They  are  ever  busy : 
they  cook,  wash,  and  with  great  skill  make  up  all  the 
garments  worn.  For  needles,  they  use  awls  made  of  thorns 
or  sharp  bones.  The  thread  is  made  of  a  species  of  wild 
flax,  though  they  often  use  the  sinews  of  the  animals  taken 
in  the  chase.  All  the  skins  are  dressed  and  tanned  by  the 
women,  and  their  taste  in  ornamentation,  with  both  beada 
and  small  shells,  is  quite  wonderful. 


CHAPTEK  X. 

THE    COMANCHES. THEIE      SPLENDID      HORSEMANSHIP. 

TACTICS     IN     BATTLE. MANNER     OF     CAPTURING     WILD 

HOBSES. KELIGION    OF    THE    TRIBE. SIGNALS    OF    THE 

SAVAGES. BUKIAL  OF  THE  DEAD. A  RAID  INTO  MEXICO. 

WARRIORS    REPORT    TO    THEIR    HEAD    CHIEF. SAVAGE 

SURGERY. MEANS    OF   TRANSPORTATION. THEIR    FOOD. 

CAMP   IN   THE   MOUNTAINS. THE   BOYS  TUSSLE  WITH 

A   CALIFORNIA   LION. KILL  A   BLACK   BEAR. BACK   TO 

THE  VILLAGE. DISCONTENTMENT. RED  BEAR  REMOVES 

THE    TRIBE    TO    THE    WICHITA    MOUNTAINS. THE    BOYS 

TALK  OF  TRYING  TO  MAKE  THEIR  ESCAPE. 

A?  THE  time  of  the  capture  of  the  young  buffalo- 
hunters,  the  Comanches  were  in  all  probability 
the  most  formidable  and  blood-thirsty  savages  of 
the  Great  Plains.  They  were  the  most  perfect  eques- 
trians in  the  world.  Forever  on  horseback,  forever  at  war, 
they  roamed  restlessly  from  one  point  of  the  great  prairies 
to  another  in  search  of  the  buffalo  which  supported  them. 
They  acknowledged  no  superior  to  that  of  their  own  tribe. 
They  robbed  indiscriminately  all  who  ventured  through 
their  inhospitable  hunting-grounds,  murdering  the  de- 
fenseless who  were  so  unfortunate  as  to  fall  under  their 
hatred.  They  were  a  dangerous,  implacable,  cunning, 
brutal  and  treacherous  enemy,  half  centaur,1  half  demon, 
living  but  to  kill  and  eat. 

1  Centaur:  In  heathen  mythology,  a  mythical  creature,  half  horse,  half  man. 
(191) 


192  THE    DELAHOYDES 

They  were  trained  in  warlike  feats  from  their  infancy. 
Wheji  perfected  in  the  art  of  their  splendid  horseback- 
riding,  they  would  dash  along  at  full  speed,  then  suddenly 
drop  over  the  side  of  their  animal,  leaving  no  part  of  their 
person  visible  but  the  sole  of  one  foot,  which  was  fastened 
over  the  horse's  back,  as  a  purchase  by  which  the  rider 
could  pull  himself  to  an  upright  position.  In  that  atti- 
tude they  could  ride  any  distance,  and  at  the  same  time  use 
their  bow  or  fourteen-foot  lance  with  deadly  effect.  One 
of  their  favorite  methods  of  attack  was  to  ride  swiftly, 
at  the  top  of  their  animal's  speed,  toward  the  enemy,  and 
then,  just  before  they  came  within  range,  drop  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  horse,  dash  past,  and  pour  into  the 
surprised  foe  a  shower  of  arrows  delivered  from  under  the 
animal's  neck,  or  even  under  his  belly.  It  was  useless 
for  the  enemy  to  return  the  shots,  as  the  whole  body  of 
the  Comanche  was  hidden  behind  that  of  his  horse.  There 
was  nothing  to  aim  at  but  the  sole  of  the  savage's  foot, 
just  projecting  over  the  horse's  back. 

Often  the  Comanches  would  try  to  steal  upon  their  ene- 
mies by  leaving  their  lances  behind  them,  slinging  them- 
selves along  the  sides  of  their  horses,  and  approaching 
carelessly,  as  though  these  horses  were  nothing  but  a  troop 
of  animals  without  riders.  A  quick  eye  was  necessary  to 
detect  this  ruse,  which  was  generally  betrayed  by  the  fact 
that  the  horses  always  kept  the  same  side  toward  the 
looker-on,  which  would  seldom  be  the  case  were  they  wild 
and  unrestrained  in  their  movements. 


CAPTURING  WILD  HOR8E8  193 

Every  Comanche  warrior  had  one  favorite  horse,  wThich 
he  never  mounted  except  for  the  war-path  or  for  hunting 
the  buffalo, — always  using  an  inferior  upon  ordinary  oc- 
casions. Swiftness  was  the  chief  quality  for  which  the 
steed  was  selected,  and  for  no  price  would  the  owner  part 
with  his  favorite  animal.  Like  all  uncivilized  peoples,  the 
Comanche  treated  his  horse  with  a  strange  mixture  of 
cruelty  and  kindness.  While  engaged  in  a  hunt,  for  ex- 
ample, he  spurred  and  whipped  the  animal  in  the  cruelest 
manner;  but  as  soon  as  he  returned,  he  carefully  turned 
the  valued  beast  over  to  his  squaw,  who  stood  ready  to 
receive  it  as  if  it  were  a  cherished  member  of  the  family. 

The  manner  in  which  the  Comanches  replenished  their 
stock  of  horses  was  remarkable.  In  many  portions  of  the 
central  regions  of  the  continent,  until  within  a  few  years 
ago  (there  may  be  some  yet  left  in  remote  places),  horses 
had  become  so  perfectly  acclimatized,  had  run  wild  for 
so  many  decades,  that  they  had  lost  all  traces  of  domesti- 
cation, and  were  as  truly  wild  as  the  buffalo  or  antelope, 
and  assembled  in  immense  herds  led  by  the  strongest  and 
swiftest  stallions. 

It  was  from  these  immense  droves  that  the  Comanches 
supplied  themselves  with  horses,  which  were  so  absolutely 
necessary  to  them.  When  a  warrior  wished  a  fresh  animal 
he  mounted  his  best  that  he  had  at  home,  provided  himself 
with  a  lasso,  and  started  out  in  search  of  the  nearest  herd 
of  wild  ones.  When  he  arrived  as  closely  as  possible  with- 
out being  in  danger  of  discovery,  he  dashed  at  them  at 
—  13 


194  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

full  speed,  and  singling  out  one  of  the  animals  that  suited 
him,  (which,  hampered  by  the  multitude  of  its  companions, 
ran  on,)  he  soon  threw  his  lasso  over  its  neck.  As  the 
noose  became  firmly  settled,  the  Indian  jumped  off  his 
own  animal.  The  pony  was  trained  to  stand  where  left, 
and  allowed  himself  to  be  dragged  by  the  frightened  horse 
he  had  taken,  and  which  shortly  fell  by  the  choking  the 
leather  cord  effected.  As  soon  as  the  horse  had  gone  to  the 
ground,  the  savage  came  up  to  it  very  cautiously,  keeping 
the  lasso  tight  enough  to  prevent  it  breathing  perfectly, 
and  yet  loose  enough  to  guard  against  complete  strangu- 
lation, and  at  last  was  able  to  place  one  hand  over  its 
eyes  and  the  other  on  its  nostrils.  The  horse  was  now  at 
the  Indian's  mercy.  Then,  in  order  to  impress  upon  the 
animal  the  fact  of  its  servitude,  he  hobbled  together  its 
fore  feet  for  a  time,  and  fastened  a  noose  to  its  lower  jaw; 
but  within  a  wonderfully  short  period  he  was  able  to  re- 
move .the  hobbles,  and  to  ride  the  conquered  animal  into 
camp.  Of  course,  during  the  time  occupied  in  taming 
the  horse  it  jumped  arid  struggled  in  the  wildest  manner ; 
but  after  the  one  attempt  for  the  mastery  it  gave  up,  and 
became  the  willing  slave  of  its  captor. 

One  of  the  most  astonishing  things  in  the  whole  pro- 
cess was  the  rapidity  with  which  the  operation  of  taming 
was  accomplished.  An  experienced  hunter  would  chase, 
capture  and  break  a  wild  horse  within  an  hour,  and  do  it 
so  effectually  that  almost  before  the  herd  was  out  of  sight 
the  wild  animal  was  ridden  as  easily  as  if  it  had  been  born 


CAPTURING   WILD    HORSES  195 

in  servitude.  The  Comanche,  cruel  master  as  he  gen- 
erally was,  always  took  special  care  not  to  break  the  spirit 
of  his  horse,  and  prided  himself  on  the  jumps  and  the 
bucking  which  the  animal  indulged  in  whenever  it  received 
its  rider  upon  its  back.  , 

Of  course,  the  very  best  animals  were  never  captured 
from  the  herd.  It  was  impossible  to  capture  them,  be- 
cause they  always  placed  themselves  at  the  head  of  the 
troop,  assuming  the  position  of  leaders,  and  dashed  off  at 
full  speed  as  soon  as  they  feared  danger.  Consequently 
they  were  often  a  half-mile  or  more  in  advance  of  their 
fellows,  so  that  an  Indian  stood  no  chance  of  overtaking 
them  on  a  horse  impeded  by  the  weight  of  the  rider. 

When  the  Indians  began  to  receive  firearms  and  had 
learned  how  to  use  them,  they  adopted  a  new  method  for 
capturing  wild  horses,  called  "  creasing."  Taking  his 
rifle,  the  hunter  crept  as  near  the  herd  as  he  could  get, 
and  watched  until  he  decided  which  horse  he  wanted.  He 
waited  until  the  horse  stood  with  its  side  toward  him,  then 
aimed  carefully  at  the  top  of  its  neck  and  fired.  If  the 
shot  was  correctly  guided,  the  bullet  just  grazed  the  ridge 
of  the  neck  and  the  horse  fell  as  if  dead,  stunned  for*  a 
moment  by  the  shock.  It  recovered  within  a  very  short 
time,  however;  but  before  it  had  regained  its  feet,  the 
Indian  was  able  to  go  up  to  it,  hobble  and  secure  it.  It 
was  a  very  effectual  method  of  wild-horse  catching,  but 
always  broke  the  spirit  of  the  animal,  and  deprived  it  of 


196  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

that  fire  and  animation  which  the  warrior  prized  so  highly ; 
therefore  the  Indians  resorted  to  it  only  occasionally. 

A  Comanche  funeral  was  a  curious  spectacle.  They 
would  carry  for  a  hundred  miles  or  more  a  dead  warrior 
killed  in  battle,  that  his  body  might  lie  within  the  limits 
of  his  own  nation.  The  departed  warrior  was  wrapped  in 
buffalo-robes,  and  laid  on  a  scaffold  made  in  a  tree,  as 
high  as  the  body  could  be  placed.  His  bows  and  arrows 
were  laid  beside  him,  buffalo-meat  put  under  his  head, 
and  his  horse  killed  at  the  foot  of  the  tree.  When  all  tht 
ceremony  was  over,  the  assembled  warriors  dropped  on 
their  knees,  and  with  hands  ^uplifted  and  clasped,  eyes 
raised  to  the  sun,1  in  a  deeply  devout  manner  murmured 
their  prayers  to  their  deity;  asking  that  the  departed 
brother  be  taken  into  his  bosom,  and  be  happily  revived  in 
the  heavenly  hunting-grounds. 

The  Comanches  believe  that  a  dead  warrior  with  his 
bow  and  arrows,  sitting  astride  the  horse  at  the  foot  of 
the  tree  in  which  his  body  rests,  will  ascend  to  the  sun, 
bearing  the  provisions  that  have  been  placed  under  his 
head,  which  are  thought  to  be  sufficient  to  last  him  on  his 
journey,  where  he  is  expected  to  find  an  abundance  upon 
his  arrival  there.  After  the  lapse  of  a  century,  he  will 
return  to  his  nation,  with  the  same  bow  and  arrows,  riding 
the  same  horse !  All  men,  women  and  children  after  death 
must  return  at  the  end  of  a  hundred  years  of  supreme  hap- 

1  The  ran  la  the  god,  or  Great  Spirit,  of  the  Oomanches. 


INDIAN    SIGNALS  197 

piness  in  the  sun,  in  order  to  keep  up  the  population  and 
power  of  the  tribe. 

The  signals  of  savages  by  means  of  smoke  are  some- 
tiling  wonderful;  each  particular  kind  having  its  special 
meaning.  A  sudden  puff,  rising  into  a  graceful  column, 
and  almost  as  suddenly  losing  its  identity,  indicates  the 
presence  of  a  strange  party  in  the  vicinity;  but  if  the 
columns  are  multiplied  rapidly  and  repeatedly,  they 
serve  as  a  warning  to  show  that  the  travelers  are  well 
armed  and  numerous.  If  a  steady  smoke  is  maintained 
for  some  time  the  object  is  to  collect  the  warriors  and 
the  scattered  bands  of  the  savages  at  some  designated 
point,  prepared  for  hostilities.  These  signals  are  made 
in  the  same  order  at  night,  by  means  of  fires,  which,  hav- 
ing been  kindled,  are  either  alternately  exposed  and 
shrouded  from  view,  or  suffered  to  burn  steadily,  as  occa- 
sion may  require. 

The  grass  on  the  prairies,  and  especially  along  the 
banks  of  the  streams,  where  it  grows  more  rank,  if  pressed 
down  during  the  dry  season  will  retain  its  impress  and 
grow  daily  more  yellow,  until  the  rains  impart  new  life 
into  it.  The  savages  are  so  well  versed  in  this  style  of  sig- 
naling that  they  can  tell  by  the  appearance  of  the  grass  how 
many  days  have  passed  since  it  was  trodden  upon;  whether 
the  party  were  Indians  or  white  men;  about  how  many 
there  were;  and  also  of  what  particular  tribe,  if  Indians, 
they  were  members. 

To   do   this   effectually   they   select   some   well-defined 


198  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

footstep,  for  which  they  hunt  with  a  marvelous  avidity, 
and  gently  pressing  down  the  grass  so  as  not  to  disturb  the 
surrounding  herbage,  they  very  carefully  examine  the 
imprint.  The  difference  between  the  crushing  heel  of  a 
white  man's  boot  and  the  light  imprint  left  by  an  Indian's 
moccasin  is  too  striking  to  admit  of  a  doubt;  while  the 
different  styles  of  moccasins  used  by  the  various  tribes  are 
well  known  to  all  the  others.  The  time  which  has  elapsed 
since  the  party  passed  over  the  ground  is  determined  by  the 
discoloration,  and  by  breaking  off  a  few  pieces  of  the  grass. 
Numbers  are  arrived  at  by  the  multiplicity  of  tracks. 
Signaling  by  bent  twigs,  broken  branches,  and  blazed  trees, 
while  traveling  through  the  forest,  is  also  common. 

If  a  mounted  party  have  been  on  the  trail,  their  number, 
quality,  and  time  of  passing  are  determined  with  exacti- 
tude, as  well  as  the  precise  sex  and  species  of  the  animal? 
ridden.  The  moment  such  a  trail  is  discovered  they  fol 
low  it  eagerly  until  some  of  the  dung  of  the  animals  is 
found,  which  is  immediately  broken  open,  and  from  its 
condition  of  moisture  and  other  properties  the  date  of 
the  passage  of  the  party  is  arrived  at  with  wonderful 
accuracy,  as  well  as  the  region  from  which  they  came. 
This  latter  point  is  determined  by  the  contents  of  the 
dung ;  whether  of  gramma-grass  and  other  varieties  which 
are  grown  only  in  certain  parts  of  the  country.  When 
barley  or  corn  is  discovered,  it  is  certain  that  whites  have 
passed  over  the  trail.  Barley  shows  almost  conclusively 
that  they  were  Americans;  if  corn,  they  were  Mexicans. 


INDIAN    SIGNALS  199 

Signaling  by  stones  is  much  more  difficult  to  compre- 
hend than  any  of  the  other  methods,  and  few  white  men 
have  ever  reached  a  proficiency  in  this  art.  The  celebrated 
Kit  Carson  was  the  most  skillful,  and,  as  is  well  known, 
no  man  had  a  keener  insight  into  Indian  methods  than  that 
famous  frontiersman.  The  traveler  is  often  surprised 
to  find  a  lot  of  stones  on  the  trail,  apparently  without 
observable  arrangement.  The  only  thing  that  attracts  his 
attention  is  the  utter  absence  of  others  anywhere  in  the 
immediate  vicinity.  He  will  know  intuitively  that  they 
must  have  been  placed  there,  and  that  is  all.  But  they 
have  a  meaning  according  to  whether  they  are  laid  in 
their  original  position,  i.  e.,  with  the  same  side  toward 
the  ground,  or  whether  turned  up,  on  edge,  half  turned 
over,  etc. 

In  signaling  they  also  make  use  of  a  piece  of  looking- 
glass,  a  kind  of  heliograph.1 

The  mirror  also  sometimes  serves  for  another  purpose: 
The  warrior  fastens  a  fragment  of  one  to  his  shield,  and 
is  often  able  to  dazzle  the  eyes  of  an  enemy  taking  aim  at 
him,  thus  causing  his  shot  to  miss. 

The  Indian  would  give  a  horse  for  a  small  mirror,  but 

1  Heliograph,  from  the  Greek  helios,  the  sun,  and  grapho,  I  write.  The  modern 
heliograph,  used  by  the  United  States  Army  for  signaling  on  the  plains  and  in  the 
mountains,  is  a  circular  mirror,  revolving  on  a  horizontal  axis,  and  is  adjusted  to  the 
required  angle  of  Incidence  with  the  sun  by  a  telescopic  rod,  by  which  the  rays  can  be 
directed  to  any  point  with  accuracy.  The  dots  and  dashes  of  the  Morse  system  of 
telegraphy  are  used  in  transmitting  messages.  Ever  since  the  North-American  Indian 
came  in  contact  with  the  white  man,  and  learned  of  reflecting  surfaces,  such  as  a  look- 
ing-glass or  bright  metal,  he  has  employed  them  in  a  crude  sort  of  way  aa  a  means  of 
signaling ;  but  his  usual  method  is  by  means  of  fire  and  siuoke,  his  code  being  a  marvel 
of  savage  ingenuity. 


200  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

cares  nothing  for  a  valuable  watch.  This  fact  Summer- 
field  soon  discovered,  for  the  chief  took  his  watch  and 
pocket-mirror,  the  latter  with  a  grunt  of  evident  satisfac- 
tion, but  the  watch  Ked  Bear  simply  broke  into  pieces, 
which  he  gave  to  his  favorite  squaw  to  wear  as  ornaments. 

"  There  goes  my  last  Christmas  present  from  my  dear 
mother,"  said  Summerficld,  as  Red  Bear  grabbed  his 
watch ;  "  but  I  suppose  it  would  be  of  no  use  for  me  to  pro- 
test," he  continued,  appealing  to  Pierre  and  the  inter- 
preter. 

"  Not  a  bit,"  replied  the  white  captive.  "  He  could 
raise  your  hair,  if  he  wanted  to ;  he  could  merely  tell  one 
of  his  braves  to  scalp  you,  and  the  red  devil  would  do  it 
with  a  grin  of  satisfaction.  We  had  best  take  things  as 
easy  as  we  can,  and  trust  to  luck  to  get  out  of  here  one  of 
these  days." 

By  Christmas,  after  the  boys  had  been  with  the  tribe 
for  nearly  six  months  and  had  become  quite  proficient  in 
the  language,  they  were  told  that  a  party  of  warriors  were 
going  down  into  New  Mexico  to  fight  the  Apaches,  and 
that  Red  Bear  wanted  the,  white  boys  to  go  with  them. 
He  was  to  send  five  hundred  of  his  best  braves,  who  were 
to  steal  all  the  horses  they  could  and  bring  back  as  many 
scalps  as  possible. 

Pierre,  Summerfield,  Carlos  and  Burton  talked  the 
matter  over  at  the  first  opportunity  when  they  found 
themselves  alone,  and  concluded  that  they  dared  not  re- 
fuse to  go  with  the  party ;  that  they  rather  liked  the  idea 


STARTING    ON   THE    RAID  201 

of  such  a  trip, — it  would  be  something  to  brag  about  when 
they  got  away  from  the  savages :  but  they  did  not  at  all 
take  to  that  part  of  the  chief's  program  which  included 
the  murder  of  innocent  people  and  wrenching  off  their 
hair. 

In  a  few  days,  grand  preparations  were  made  for  the 
raid.  The  best  war-dresses  of  the  warriors  were  brought 
out  from  their  parfleche1  boxes  by  the  squaws,  and 
cleaned  up;  the  fastest  ponies  were  selected  from  the  im- 
mense herds  of  the  tribe  and  brought  closer  in  to  the 
village ;  the  shields  and  bows  carefully  inspected ;  many 
new  arrows  manufactured;  and  the  squaws  were  kept  busy 
until  long  into  the  night  for  several  days,  preparing  the 
rations  of  dried  buffalo-meat  and  other  articles  to  eat. 
Every  morning  and  afternoon,  the  warriors — particularly 
the  younger  ones,  who  were  to  make  their  first  venture  into 
battle,  including  the  white  boys — drilled  constantly  on 
the  race-course. 

At  last  everything  was  declared  ready  for  the  march, 
and  early  one  morning,  with  the  whole  village  out  of  the 
lodges  to  give  them  encouragement,  the  five  hundred  war- 
riors in  full  war-paint  and  feathers,  their  long  lances  at 
poise,  shields,  bows  and  quivers  of  arrows  in  place,  moved 
out,  making  the  air  hideous  with  their  whoops  and  cries 
of  defiance. 

The  party  camped  on  some  stream  every  night,  and 
hunted  buffalo  on  the  way,  in  which  the  boys  participated. 

1  Prrfleehc  Is  the  tanned  hide  of  the  buffalo. 


202  THE   DELAHOYDES 

Now  that  Suinmerfield  and  Burton  had  become  experts  in 
horseback  riding,  they  killed  just  as  many  of  the  huge 
animals  as  either  Pierre,  Carlos,  or  any  of  the  young 
"  bucks." 

It  was  a  novel  sight  at  night,  just  before  the  savages 
went  to  sleep,  to  see  them  get  down  on  their  knees  facing 
toward  where  the  sun  had  set,  with  their  hands  elevated 
and  joined,  and  pray  for  the  successful  termination  of 
the  expedition, — lots  of  scalps  of  their  enemies,  and  many 
horses.  At  sunrise  the  same  ceremony  was  repeated,  as 
is  the  daily  custom  of  the  Indians,  both  in  their  villages 
and  in  the  field. 

The  party  was  absent  from  the  village  about  two  months, 
during  which  time  it  had  many  a  skirmish  with  detached 
bands  of  Apaches,  but  always  came  out  victorious.  The 
warriors  brought  back  with  them  six  hundred  ponies  and 
fifty  scalps,  but  lost  seven  of  their  own  braves.  Their  dead 
bodies  were  transported  on  ponies  for  more  than  two  hun- 
dred miles,  until  the  boundaries  of  the  Comanche  nation 
were  reached,  and  were  there  buried  with  all  the  ceremony 
described  in  a  former  paragraph. 

The  next  morning  after  the  arrival  of  the  war  party 
at  the  village,  the  warriors  were  ordered  to  assemble  at 
the  old  chief's  lodge,  to  make  their  report  of  the  expedi- 
tion to  him,  as  required  by  the  customs  of  the  tribe. 

Every  warrior  took  his  place  in  a  circle  in  front  of  the 
entrance  to  the  lodge  of  Red  Bear,  the  old  chief  sitting  in 
the  doorway  on  a  magnificently  embroidered  buffalo-robe, 


REPORT   TO   THE    CHIEF  208 

— his  son,  the  war-chief  who  had  led  the  party  on  the 
raid,  by  his  side.  First,  the  medicine-pipe  was  lighted 
and  passed  from  one  to  the  other,  and  after  a  smoke, — 
which  is  always  the  preliminary  to  everything  that  a 
savage  does, — in  a  very  loud  voice,  so  that  all  of  his  braves 
who  had  accompanied  him  could  hear  him,  the  events  of 
the  expedition  to  the  minutest  detail  were  narrated  by  the 
war-chief. 

While  he  was  talking,  the  most  profound  silence  pre- 
vailed; and  when  he  had  concluded  his  narrative,  he 
asked  his  warriors  one  by  one  if  he  had  not  told  the  story 
of  their  expedition  correctly.  These  reports  are  usually 
very  accurate,  but  if  a  mistake  is  made  by  the  narrator, 
some  of  the  warriors  correct  it.  The  war-chief  was  very 
profuse  in  his  praises  of  the  conduct  of  the  white  cap- 
tives, particularly  Burton,  who  had  killed  an  Apache. 

Many  of  the  warriors  were  severely  wounded  during 
their  battles.  The  majority  of  them,  however,  recovered 
very  soon,  by  the  careful  nursing  of  the  squaws ;  but  three 
had  been  so  terribly  injured  that  between  them  the  am- 
putation of  two  legs  and  one  arm  was  necessary.  The 
wounded  were  returned  to  the  village  on  buffalo-robes 
suspended  between  two  ponies,  forming  a  kind  of  litter, 
in  common  use  among  the  tribes  for  transporting  the  sick 
and  wounded  in  battle. 

The  amputation  of  the  wounded  limbs  as  witnessed  by 
the  white  boys  they  described  as  barbarous  in  the  extreme. 
The  only  instruments  used  were  an  old  butcher-knife  and 


204  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

a  saw  made  from  a  piece  of  hoop-iron.  The  offensive 
members  were  cut  off  with  the  miserable  knife,  the  bone 
severed  with  the  improvised  saw,  and  the  stump  seared 
with  a  hot  iron,  and  then  bound  up  with  a  poultice  of 
bark, — which  is  always  to  be  found  in  the  villages  and 
is  carried  on  expeditions. 

The  savage  who  had  to  undergo  the  frightful  operatron 
was  placed  on  the  ground,  and  tightly  held  by  another 
of  his  companions,  while  the  victim  hejd  in  his  teeth  a 
leaden  bullet.  Only  a  few  slight  groans  were  given,  the 
poor  man  bearing  up  most  manfully.  Strange  to  say,  all 
recovered  from  such  savage  surgical  manipulations. 

After  the  wounded  had  recovered,  and  the  period  of 
mourning  for  the  dead  had  ended,  a  feast  was  given  which 
continued  uninterruptedly  for  fifteen  days,  in  which 
horse-racing,  foot-races  and  ball  games  were  the  principal 
amusements.  The  ball  game  among  the  Indians  is  very 
similar  to  a  white  boy's  "  shinny,"  and  played  with  just 
such  crooked  sticks.  The  players  are  dressed  with  only 
a  simple  breechcloth  and  a  pair  of  moccasins.  Sides  are 
chosen,  and  much  in  the  shape  of  stakes  is  always  put  up 
on  the  result  of  the  game. 

The  Comanches  spoke  the  Spanish  (or  rather,  the  cor- 
rupted Mexican)  with  remarkable  facility,  and  their  fre- 
quent raids  into  New  Mexico,  with  resultant  successful 
plundering,  had  supplied  them  with  many  silver-mounted 
saddles,  bridles,  and  spurs;  and  these  were  often  of  much 
intrinsic  value.  Consequently  their  ponies  were  gor- 


MOVING   THE    VILLAGE  205 

geously  caparisoned,  which  was  a  surprise  to  the  boys, 
until  they  learned  from  experience  how  the  Indians  got 
them,  and  were  themselves  possessed  of  some  by  the  same 
means. 

The  arms  of  the  Comanches  for  many  years  were  con- 
fined to  the  primitive  bow  and  arrows,  but  at  thirty  yards 
they  could  discharge  them  as  rapidly,  or  even  more  rapidly 
in  the  hands  of  an  expert  warrior,  than  the  repeating 
rifles  of  to-day.  The  boys'  rifles  were  a  new  sensation  to 
the  old  chief.  Of  course  he  had  seen  many  of  the  trap- 
pers' guns,  muzzle-loading  and  flint-lock,  but  those  of  the 
boys,  especially  Summerfield's  and  Burton's,  were  the 
then  new  Spencer  breech-loading  arm,  and  the  warriors 
were  surprised  at  their  rapidity  and  accuracy  in  firing 
them.  In  a  short  time  all  the  Indians  of  the  Plains  were 
well  armed  with  the  most  improved  weapons,  by  the  munifi- 
cence of  the  Government. 

The  village  moved  in  the  fall  to  the  region  of  the  foot- 
hills of  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  gather  wild  gooseberries, 
cherries,  and  the  nuts  of  the  piiion.  The  operation  of 
transporting  the  equipage  and  lodge  goods  of  the  savages 
was  conducted  entirely  by  the  squaws.  A  long  pole  was 
strapped  to  each  side  of  a  pony,  called  a  travois  by  the 
old  French-Canadian  trappers,  with  a  platform  fashioned 
on  the  parts  dragging  behind  the  animal,  on  which  the 
tepees  and  very  little  children  were  carried.  Many  of 
the  dogs,  of  which  there  are  always  hundreds  in  an  In- 
dian village,  were  made  to  do  duty  when  moving.  Small 


206  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

travois  were  constructed  for  them  exactly  like  those  for 
the  larger  animals;  and  everything  not  transported  on 
these  travois  was  carried  by  the  women. 

In  packing  the  dogs,  it  is  amusing  to  see  the  trouble  that 
sometimes  ensues,  for  many  of  the  little  brutes  will  not 
submit  to  the  treatment  of  being  made  beasts  of  burden, 
and  also  worry  those  that  are  willing.  Consequently, 
fights  are  of  common  occurrence,  often  including  the 
squaws,  who  take  sides  with  their  respective  dogs,  and  a 
general  free-for-all  scrabble  is  the  result. 

The  warriors  ride  on  the  flanks  of  the  moving  band, 
leaving  everything  for  the  women  to  do,  and  always  seem 
to  take  great  delight  in  these  fights  between  the  dogs  and 
their  owners.  Sometimes  more  than  twenty  thousand 
ponies,  dogs,  women,  and  children,  together  with  the  war- 
riors, constituted  the  population  of  one  of  the  Comanche 
villages  in  the  past. 

Arriving  at  their  destination,  after  a  temporary  camp 
was  selected  by  the  chief  the  lodges  were  erected,  which 
required  the  whole  of  the  first  day,  and  the  next  morning 
all  the  women  started  out  to  gather  pinons  and  acorns. 

The  nut  of  the  pinon  tree  is  about  half  the  size  of  a 
chestnut,  and  is  used  very  extensively  as  an  article  of  food 
both  by  the  poorer  classes  of  Mexicans  and  the  Indians. 
It  grows  in  a  cone  which  contains  twenty-five  or  thirty 
of  the  nuts,  and  is  quite  oily.  The  nuts  are  prepared 
for  winter  eating  by  covering  over  great  piles  of  the  cones 
with  earth  and  then  setting  the  heap  on  fire.  This  is 


THOUGHTS    OF    HOME  207 

allowed  only  to  smoulder,  in  order  to  bake  and  soften  the 
shells.  When  the  cones  are  reduced  nearly  to  charcoal, 
the  nut  and  its  kernel  may  easily  be  taken  out. 

Acorns  are  pounded  into  meal  by  a  stone  pestle,  and 
are  then  boiled  with  corn  mush.  The  squaws  also  gather 
immense  quantities  of  wild  currants,  gooseberries,  plums, 
and  choke-cherries;  but  the  choke-cherries  of  the  moun- 
tains are  entirely  different  from  those  found  in  the  East. 
All  of  these  fruits  are  dried  for  winter  use,  and,  when 
the  year  is  a  prolific  one  for  them,  form  a  good  portion 
of  the  savages'  rations. 

Before  they  started  for  the  mountains,  Carlos  often 
said  that  he  wished  he  had  his  dog  Cyrus  with  him,  if 
for  only  a  single  night;  for,  as  he  told  the  other  boys,  he 
would  write  a  note,  tie  it  to  his  neck,  and  telf  him  to  take 
it  home, — which  he  certainly  would  do,  even  though  the 
distance  were  a  hundred  miles. 

"  It  is  not  more  than  seventy  in  a  straight  line,"  said 
Pierre ;  "  but  there — we  have  n't  got  any  Cyrus !  " 

"  I  wonder,"  said  Summerfield,  "  whether  your  folks 
have  ever  attempted  to  find  out  where  we  are  ? " 

"  I  know  they  have,"  said  Carlos ;  "  and  they  will  keep 
on  trying  to  find  us  until  they  do." 

"  Well,  we  've  got  to  wait  our  time,"  said  Burton,  "  and 
if  it  were  not  for  the  worry  and  trouble  1  'm  giving  my 
father  and  mother,  and  losing  my  chance  at  college,  I  'd 
like  to  stay  with  the  Indians  a  whole  year.  I  like  this 
wild  life.  Eed  Bear  has  treated  us  very  nicely,  and  all 


208  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

the  boys  seem  to  be  our  friends.  We  might  have  fared 
much  worse,  if  we  had  fallen  in  with  any  other  chief." 

This  conversation  was  carried  on  while  they  were  trav- 
eling to' the  new  camp  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains.  They 
had  never  given  up  the  idea  that  soon  they  would  be  res- 
cued by  the  Government,  or  that  some  trader  would  come 
down  to  the  village  and  find  out  they  were  there. 

They  did  not  know,  however,  that  several  traders  had 
been  to  the  village  while  they  were  there,  but  the  wily 
old  chief  had  sent  them  out  of  the  way  on  some  sort  of  a 
mission,  either  herding  the  ponies  at  a  great  distance  from 
the  village,  or  hunting  the  buffalo  with  a  party  of  war- 
riors. The  chief  always  knew  when  strangers  were  ap- 
proaching his  little  kingdom,  for  the  savages  keep  up  a 
system  of  espionage  through  the  medium  of  a  well-trained 
corps  of  "  runners,"  who  give  any  information  by  signals 
of  smoke  or  fire  as  already  described. 

Red  Bear  expected,  when  the  proper  time  arrived,  to 
receive  a  ransom  from  the  Government,  either  in  the  form 
of  money  or  goods,  and  for  that  reason  was  very  good  to 
his  young  captives. 

The  temporary  camp  in  the  mountains  was  located  on 
the  Rio  Corralitos,  in  Old  Mexico,  and  the  slopes  of  the 
mountains  were  covered  with  the  piiion,  the  stream 
abounded  in  fish,  and  wild  berries  grew  in  profusion. 

During  the  stay  of  the  savages  in  the  (for  them)  charm- 
ing region,  there  were  no  raids  made  upon  the  inoffensive 
Mexicans.  The  presence  of  the  warriors  was  necessary 


BRUIN     IS    CAUGHT     ON     A     LEDGE. 


THEIR   AMUSEMENTS  209 

to  protect  the  women  in  their  duties  of  gathering  the 
winter  supply  of  food;  so  the  men  idled  away  their  time 
in  smoking,  gambling,  and  sleeping. 

This  leisure  gave  the  boys,  both  red  and  white,  lots  of 
time  to  themselves,  and  they  improved  it  by  indulging  in 
all  sorts  of  amusements:  fishing,  swimming,  hunting, 
shooting  at  a  mark,  playing  ball,  and  everything  else  that 
the  place  and  the  time  offered.  They  had  many  adventures 
while  wandering  through  the  somber  mountains  with  their 
dogs,  for  as  stated,  the  village  was  overrun  with  as  motley 
a  gathering  of  canines  as  it  is  possible  to  conceive  of. 
There  were  none  of  them  thoroughbreds,  like  Cyrus,  Jupe 
and  the  others  at  the  ranch  on  the  Arkansas,  for  their 
pointed  ears  showed  very  plainly  their  close  affinity  to  the 
wolves,  with  which  they  often  affiliated. 

The  mountains  were  inhabited  by  various  animals,  espe- 
cially the  so-called  California  lion ;  and  it  was  while  living 
in  the  temporary  camp  of  the  Comanches  that  Summer- 
field,  Burton,  Pierre  and  Carlos  made  their  first  acquaint- 
ance with  the  ferocious  beast,  in  which  one  of  the  largest 
and  best  of  the  Indian  dogs  lost  his  life. 

The  boys  with  half  a  dozen  of  their  dusky  companions 
were  roaming  through  the  hills  one  morning,  and  had 
gotten  about  five  miles  from  the  camp,  when  they  suddenly 
came  upon  a  lion,  or  cougar,  that  was  sleeping  in  the 
underbrush,  after  partly  devouring  a  deer  which  he  had 
killed,  portions  of  which  were  lying  near  the  beast 
—  14 


210  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

The  lion  was  evidently  very  sluggish,  for  even  the  noise 
the  boys  made  did  not  awaken  him  as  they  walked  by  his 
retreat;  but  one  of  the  dogs  ferreted  him  out  of  his  lair, 
and  the  now  astonished  brute  attempted  to  escape  by 
climbing  a  pine  tree  near  by.  Before  he  could  effect  it, 
however,  one  of  the  dogs  caught  him  by  the  leg,  and  both 
lion  and  dog  rolled  over  on  the  ground,  biting  and  tear- 
ing each  other  terribly  in  the  conflict.  At  last,  by  a 
supreme  effort  on  the  part  of  the  lion,  the  poor  dog's  side 
was  ripped  wide  open  by  the  sharp  claws  of  the  lion's 
hind  feet,  just  as  one, of  the  Indian  boys  fired  a  sharp 
pointed  arrow  into  the  brute,  which  made  him  let  go  his 
hold  on  the  poor  animal. 

The  dog  was  too  far  gone  when  the  boys  came  up  to  him, 
and  he  lived  only,  a  few  moments.  He  was  one  of  the 
best  of  all  in  the  camp,  and  was  called  "  White  Swan  " 
by  the  tribe.  The  young  savages  were  almost  inconsolable 
over  the  loss  of  "  White  Swan,"  but  swiftly  revenged  his 
death  by  pouring  a  shower  of  arrows  into  the  lion,  in 
which  the  white  boys  assisted,  and  the  brute  died  in  a 
few  seconds  after  he  was  completely  riddled  by  the  swiftly 
fired  savage  weapons. 

The  young  Indians  soon  skinned  him,  intending  to  take 
his  hide  back  to  camp  to  show  their  prowess  in  killing  such 
a  formidable  beast. 

On  their  way  back,  they  came  upon  the  fresh  trail  of  a 
bear,  and  all  determined  to  hunt  him  up  and  kill  him  too. 
They  tracked  him  to  a  ledge  of  rocks,  on  a  projecting 


FIGHT   WITH    A   BLACK   BEAR  211 

shelf  of  which  he  was  taking  his  morning  siesta,  probably 
having  gorged  himself  upon  some  animal  he  had  caught 
on  his  predatory  tour,  the  tracks  of  which  the  boys  had 
come  across. 

Bruin  was  perched  pretty  high  up  on  the  ledge,  and 
above  him  it  was  almost  perpendicular,  so  that  the  only 
way  for  him  to  get  down  from  the  shelf  was  by  the  same 
trail  he  had  gone  up,  and  that  led  directly  to  where  the 
boys  were  standing  ready  to  give  him  a  bloody  reception. 

The  bear  woke  up,  and  eyeing  his  enemies  for  a  few 
seconds,  gave  a  low  growl,  and  looked  above  him  to  dis- 
cover some  means  of  escape  that  way;  but  he  saw  it  was 
impossible,  so  stood  at  bay,  snarling,  snorting,  and  show- 
ing his  teeth. 

Fortunately  for  the  boys,  perhaps,  the  animal  was  only 
a  common  black  bear,  for  if  he  had  been  a  cinnamon  or  a 
grizzly,  their  chances  of  killing  him  without  losing  one 
or  more  of  their  own  party,  or  at  least  getting  badly 
wounded,  would  have  been  very  slim;  but  the  black  bear 
is  not  a  very  ferocious  animal,  unless  when  a  she  one  has 
her  cubs  with  her. 

The  bear  evidently  understood  his  awkward  position, 
and  the  dilemma  he  was  in,  for  he  cried  like  a  baby  as 
he  looked  down  upon  his  enemies. 

It  was  a  comical  sight  to  the  white  boys,  and  they  could 
not  restrain  their  laughter  at  the  hopeless-looking  expres- 
sion of  the  bear's  face,  as  he  seemed  to  realize  perfectly 
that  he  was  "  a  gone  goose." 


212  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

Presently,  the  Indians  could  stand  the  inaction  of  both 
themselves  and  Bruin  no  longer,  so  they  drew  up  their 
bows  and  poured  a  shower  of  arrows  at  him,  nearly  all 
of  which,  owing  to  the  shortness  of  the  range, — for  the 
bear  was  not  more  than  thirty  feet  from  the  group  of  boys 
that  were  firing  at  him, — took  effect,  but  none  of  them 
happened  to  hit  a  vital  part  until  fifty  of  the  feathered 
missiles  had  been  poured  into  him,  when,  by  a  lucky  ven- 
ture of  Carlos',  an  arrow  pierced  the  beast's  heart,  and  he 
tumbled  off  the  shelf  right  at  the  feet  of  the  delighted  boys. 

He  had  a  beautiful  robe,  for  he  was  very  fat,  and  the 
work  of  skinning  him  occupied  but  a  few  moments.  Then 
the  two  hides,  one  that  of  the  lion  and  the  other  that  of 
the  bear,  were  rolled  up,  and  transported  on  a  pole  borne 
on  the  shoulders  of  two  boys,  who  took  "  turns  about "  in 
carrying  them  until  they  arrived  at  camp. 

The  tribe  remained  at  the  camp  for  more  than  two 
months,  until  all  the  nuts,  fruit  and  other  things  the 
women  had  come  after  were  exhausted,  and  then  prep- 
arations were  at  once  made  to  return  to  their  old  perma- 
nent ground  south  of  Hackberry  creek  in  the  Indian  Ter- 
ritory. All  was  confusion  again, — the  same  general  fights 
between  the  dogs  and  the  squaws  taking  place,  that  had 
characterized  their  start  from  the  village ;  but  the  animals 
were  more  heavily  weighted  than  before  with  the  vast 
accumulation  of  food  the  women  had  gathered  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountains. 

The  tribe  were  many  days  on  the  road,  and  coming 


DRIVING   BUFFALOES    OVER    PRECIPICE  213 

across  several  vast  herds  of  buffalo,  some  time  was  occu- 
pied in  killing  them;  and  as  the  tribe  had  hundreds  of 
extra  ponies  with  them,  they  could  easily  transport  thou- 
sands of  pounds  of  the  meat. 

When  the  tribe  reached  Little  Red  river,  they  found 
the  prairie  adjoining  that  stream's  high  banks  literally 
black  with  the  coveted  animals.  At  a  point  near  where 
they  pitched  camp  one  afternoon,  there  was  a  high  preci- 
pice, at  least  five  hundred  feet  from  its  brink  to  the  mar- 
gin of  the  water.  Here  they  succeeded  in  surrounding  a 
large  herd  of  buffalo,  in  which  all  the  warriors  and  the 
young  men  assisted,  and  stampeding  them,  the  huge  ani- 
mals rushed  over  the  embankment  and  were  precipitated 
on  the  rocks  below,  hundreds  being  killed  by  the  awful 
fall.  All  hands  then  went  to  work  skinning.  The  squaws 
cut  the  meat  into  strips,  salted  it  with  salt  gathered  from 
the  saline  springs  which  abound  in  that  region,  dried  it 
in  a  sort  of  twist,  with  a  streak  of  fat  and  lean  together, 
and  put  it  into  bales  for  packing.  It  took  them  all  the 
next  day  to  properly  prepare  what  they  had  killed  in  that 
one  lucky  venture  of  the  precipice,  and  they  started  on 
their  way  the  next  morning  rejoicing  at  their  unusual 
good  fortune. 

When  the  tribe  arrived  at  the  old  ground  and  the  lodges 
were  erected  and  the  village  looked  as  it  did  before  their 
migration  to  the  mountains,  a  great  feast  and  dance  was 
given,  in  honor  of  their  good  luck.  - 

The  lost  trapper  boys  and  their  companions  were  now 


214  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

entering  upon  their  second  year  with  the  Comanchcs, 
Winter  was  rapidly  approaching,  though  the  name  of  the 
month  alone  betrayed  it,  for  tho  weather  was  delightful. 
The  only  change  observable  to  the  young  Bostonians,  who 
were  used  to  cold,  snow  and  fogs  in  their  harsh  New  Eng- 
land climate,  was  that  the  trees  had  donned  their  autumn 
dress  of  russet,  and  many  varieties  of  birds  with  which 
they  had  become  familiar  during  the  summer,  now  no 
longej  were  to  be  seen,  having  departed  on  their  migration 
southward.  The  grass  on  the  prairies  was  brown,  the 
woods  rustled  at  every  breath  of  the  wind  as  their  leaves, 
dry  and  crisp,  fell  in  showers  to  the  earth.  The  notes  of 
the  cranes  high  in  midair  were  no  longer  heard,  the  pleas- 
ant "  Bob- White  "  of  the  quail  taking  their  place,  or  the 
sharp  whirr  of  the  prairie-grouse  as  they  took  to  the  shelter 
of  the  timber,  their  usual  winter  quarters. 

With  a  general  dullness  in  the  character  of  the  village 
incident  to  the  close  of  the  busy  season,  the  boys  began 
to  long  for  those  things  which  civilization  brings:  the 
festivities  of  the  Christmas  season,  and  the  conventional- 
ities of  the  New  Year.  So,  for  the  first  time  since  they 
were  captured  by  the  Indians,  did  the  time  hang  heavy 
on  their  hands. 

They  had  become  sufficiently  conversant  with  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Comanches  to  understand  what  were  the  most 
frequent  topics  upon  which  the  savages  talked.  They 
heard  of  the  meeting  of  the  Peace  Commission,  and  noted 
the  mutter  ings  of  disappointment  at  the  failure  of  the 


MOVE   TO   THE    WICHITA   MOUNTAINS  215 

Government  to  ratify  the  stipulations  of  the  treaty  made 
at  Medicine  Lodga  Also,  they  learned  shortly  after 
their  return  from  the  Rio  Corralitos,  that  it  was  the  inten- 
tion of  Red  Bear  to  remove  the  village  to  the  Wichita 
Mountains,  so  as  to  be  farther  from  the  region  of  country 
occupied  by  the  whites,  as  a  general  war  was  to  be  inaugu- 
rated by  all  the  tribes. 

The  boys  were  much  disappointed  when  they  heard  the 
decision  of  the  old  chief,  for  they  thought  the  chances  of 
their  getting  away  from  their  captors  considerably  lessened 
if  they  went  so  far  to  the  south. 

By  the  last  of  November  the  new  village  was  firmly  es- 
tablished at  the  foot  of  the  range  known  as  the  Wichita 
Mountains,  though  it  is  a  misnomer  to  call  them  such. 
They  are,  in  fact,  but  an  aggregation  of  isolated  peaks 
standing  on  a  level  prairie,  principally  composed  of  gran- 
ite in  various  shades  of  color,  green  predominating. 
They  are  much  broken  up  on  their  sides,  and  from  the 
base  of  nearly  every  one  of  them  a  cold  spring  of  water 
gushes.  The  region  is  well  timbered,  and  is  the  home  of 
innumerable  songsters;  the  mocking-bird,  one  of  Amer- 
ica's sweetest  warblers,  and  the  thrush  prevailing. 

It  was  a  favorite  winter  residence  of  the  tribes  that 
were  friendly  with  each  other,  as  the  climate  was  all  that 
could  be  desired,  mild  in  the  extreme,  and  the  skies  of  a 
deep  blue,  rivaling  the  sapphire. 

The  boys  were  pleased  with  the  change  of  location:  it 
was  more  picturesque  than  the  region  of  the  old  village, 


216  THE    DELAHOYDES 

but  the  enchantment  was  dispelled  when  they  considered 
how  much  farther  off  were  those  whom  they  loved  and 
longed  to  see  again. 

The  tribe  was  kept  posted  by  a  corps  of  runners,  who 
from  day  to  day  reported  to  Ked  Bear  all  that  took  place ; 
and  of  course  the  boys,  through  their  young  Indian  com- 
panions, were  kept  informed. 

They  heard  of  massacres  having  been  committed  by  the 
Cheyenne^  upon  the  Smoky  Hill  river,  and  that  a  general 
war  was  imminent.  They  saw,  too,  many  of  the  most 
noted  warriors  of  the  tribe  depart  from  the-  village  and  not 
return.  These  they  were  told  had  gone  to  join  the  allied 
forces  in  the  field ;  and  they  began  to  think  whether  their 
own  lives  were  any  longer  safe  in  the  village.  Although 
no  difference  was  apparent  in  the  conduct  of  the  savages 
toward  them,  they  instinctively  believed  it  would  be  better 
to  make  their  escape,  if  possible ;  and  the  sooner  they  could 
effect  it,  the  better. 


CHAPTER  XL 

ANXIETY     AT     THE     RANCH     OF     THE     DELAHOYDES. THE 

PEACE     COMMISSION. THE     TKEATY. BROKEN     FAITH 

OF  THE  GOVERNMENT. FIRST  BATTLE  WITH  THE  AL- 
LIED TRIBES. THE  OPENING  OF  THE  CELEBRATED 

WINTER    CAMPAIGN    BY    GENERAL    SHERIDAN. GENERAL 

SULLY'S  FIGHT. —  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  CAMP  SUPPLY. — 

GENERAL  CUSTER^S  FAMOUS  MARCH. THE  ATTACK  ON 

BLACK  KETTLE'S  VILLAGE. —  A  GREAT  VICTORY. — SHOOT- 
ING THE  PONIES. PRISONERS. ARRIVAL  OF  THE  TROOP- 
ERS AT  CAMP  SUPPLY  AGAIN. IN  THE  FIELD. THE 

FATE    OF    MAJOR    ELLIOTTS    COMMAND. GENERAL    CUS- 

TER'S  REPORT. 

TEN  days  had  elapsed  at  the  ranch  on  the  Arkansas, 
since  the  departure  of  the  Del  ahoy  de  boys  and 
their  young  guests  on  their  buffalo  hunt  far  south 
of  the  river.     Then  their  non-arrival  home  began  to  give 
the  parents  of  Pierre  and  Carlos  some  uneasiness,  but  they 
did  not  worry  a  great  deal,  until  the  evening  of  the  elev- 
enth day,  the  last  moment  it  was  probable  they  would 
remain  away,  and  still  no  signs  of  the  absent  ones. 

The  Mexican  cook  came  up  to  the  dugout  and  expressed 
his  surprise  at  the  delay  of  the  return  of  his  employers. 
He  told  Mr.  Delahoyde  they  had  ever,  been  very  prompt 
in  their  dealings  with  him ;  he  had  never  known  them  to 
break  an  engagement,  or  remain  beyond  the  appointed 
time. 

(217) 


218  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

Mr.  Delahoyde  told  him  that  he  and  his  wife  were  much 
worried,  and  that  if  they  did  not  make  their  appearance 
that  evening  (it  was  then  about  four  o'clock),  he  intended 
to  go  and  search  for  some  sign  of  them,  and  would  like  to 
have  him  go  along. 

The  Mexican  said  he  would  gladly  go,  and  it  was  agreed 
that  they  should  start  at  daylight  in  the  morning.  Mr. 
Delahoyde  suggested  that  they  ride  the  two  animals  of  the 
Bostonians,  as  his  own  ponies  were  far  out  on  the  prairie,, 
and  he  could  not  get  them  up  in  time  to  start  at  the  ap- 
pointed hour  unless  he  went  after  them  that  evening.  For 
this  he  really  had  not  the  time,  as  he  must  fix  things  so  as 
to  leave  his  wife  without  too  much  to  attend  to  during  their 
absence,  for  he  did  not  know  how  long  they  might  be 
gone, —  intending  to  follow  their  trail  as  far  as  possible. 

Mr.  Delahoyde  immediately  went  to  work  and  put  his 
stock  into  the  big  corral,  so  that  his  wife  would  only  have 
to  throw  a  little  hay  in  to  them  occasionally;  and  as  the 
spring  was  inside  of  the  inclosure,  she  would  have  no 
trouble  in  caring  for  them. 

The  next  morning  at  daybreak  the  Mexican  made  his 
appearance  at  the  dugout  with  two  of  the  young  men's 
horses  saddled.  As  both  he  and  Mr.  Delahoyde  had  al- 
ready breakfasted,  they  started  down  the  river  on  the 
trail  to  the  Fort  Sill  ford,  taking  their  rifles  with  them 
and  a  supply  of  dried  meat. 

Arriving  there  about  noon,  they  saw  the  evidences  of  the 
boys  having  camped  at  the  spring,  and  here  they  halted 


SEARCHING   FOR   THE    BOYS  219 

for  an  hour  to  eat  their  lunch  and  give  their  animals  an 
opportunity  to  graze. 

By  two  o'clock  they  were  in  the  saddle  again,  following 
the  trail  south  to  the  Canadian,  and  reaching  that  stream 
about  dark,  discovered  where  the  boys  bad  rested  and 
eaten  a  turkey,  for  the  feathers  of  the  bird  were  lying 
upon  the  ground  near  their  little  fire  by  which  they  had 
cooked  it. 

Mr.  Delahoyde  and  the  Mexican  stayed  on  the  Cana- 
dian that  night,  and  started  out  again  early  the  next  morn- 
ing, still  following  the  trail  of  the  boys  southward. 

The  first  sign  they  discovered  that  the  boys  had  killed 
any  of  the  great  animals  was  beyond  Hackberry  creek. 
The  remains  of  the  tough  old  bull,  which  Pierre  and  Car- 
los had  rejected,  were  right  on  the  trail.  It  was  nearly 
devoured  by  the  wolves,  but  by  the  freshness  of  the  bones 
they  knew  it  had  been  lately  killed,  and  as  no  buffalo- 
hunters  had  been  in  the  country  for  many  weeks,  they 
were  certain  that  the  old  bull  had  been  killed  by  the  boys. 

Owing  to  the  multiplicity  of  tracks  of  both  ponies  and 
buffalo,  caused  by  the  boys  chasing  the  latter  over  a  wide 
area,  and  the  preponderance  of  the  tracks  of  the  split  hoofs 
of  the  buffalo,  it  was  impossible  to  trail  the  boys  any 
farther,  and  the  search  had  to  be  abandoned.  That  any 
of  them  had  been  injured  in  the  chase,  seemed  not  at  all 
likely,  for  certainly  all  of  them  could  not  have  been  dis- 
abled ;  some  of  them  would  have  returned  to  the  ranch  and 


220  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

reported  the  fact  if  any  mishap  had  occurred:  so  that 
theory  was  not  entertained  for  a  moment. 

Reluctantly  Mr.  Delahoyde  returned  to  his  home,  almost 
heart-broken  at  the  disappearance  of  his  two  bright  boys. 
To  his  wife  he  said  that  he  did  not  believe  they  had  been 
killed;  the  worst  he  conjectured  was  they  had  fallen  in 
with  some  stray  band  of  Indians  and  been  captured ;  but 
as  the  several  tribes  were  at  peace  with  the  Government, 
he  did  not  think  they  would  be  harmed;  only  held  for 
ransom,  which  although  a  mere  theory,  gave  some  com- 
fort to  the  mother  of  Pierre  and  Carlos. 

The  shadow  of  profound  grief  brooded  over  the  once 
pleasant  home  on  the  Arkansas,  and  until  Curtis,  the  In- 
dian trader,  returned  from  Fort  Harker,  nothing  could  be 
done  in  furtherance  of  the  quest  of  the  lost  boys ;  for  Mr. 
Delahoyde  could  not  leave  his  good  wife  alone  in  the  iso- 
lated dugout,  to  himself  go  to  the  fort  and  report  to  the  com- 
manding officer  there  the  disappearance  of  the  young 
Bostonians  and  his  own  sons. 

Ten  more  days  of  gloom  shrouded  the  home  in  the  val- 
ley of  the  Arkansas,  when  one,  evening  just  at  sundown 
the  long-looked-for  Curtis  drove  up  to  the  ranch.  lie  was 
immediately  informed  of  the  absence  of  his  charge,  and 
at  once  he  and  Mr.  Delahoyde  began  to  formulate  plans 
to  find  out  what  had  become  of  the  missing  youths. 

Curtis  said  that  although  the  Indians  were  apparently 
inclined  to  be  friendly,  there  was  a  spirit  of  unrest  among 
them.  The  constant  encroachment  of  the  whites  upon 


CURTIS  GOES  TO  FORT  BARKER  221 

their  hunting-grounds,  and  the  advent  of  the  railroad, 
which  now  had  penetrated  many  miles  into  the  interior, 
bringing  with  it  a  horde  of  settlers  greedy  for  the  public 
land,  he  feared  would  cause  trouble  soon,  and  that  a 
bloody  war  would  be  inaugurated. 

He  said  that  he  did  not  think  the  boys  were  in  any  im- 
mediate danger,  for  of  late  years  most  of  the  tribes  had 
changed  their  tactics  in  relation  to  their  captives:  they 
treated  them  fairly  well,  in  hope  of  receiving  a  ransom 
for  them  from  the  Government. 

It  was  agreed  that  Curtis  should  return  immediately 
to  Fort  Harker  and  acquaint  the  officers  stationed  there  of 
the  circumstances  concerning  the  absence  of  the  boys,  and 
get  their  opinion  as  to  the  best  means  to  be  employed  to 
find  out  whether  they  were  with  any  of  the  tribes. 

Curtis  started  back  to  the  fort  early  the  next  morning, 
on  horseback,  leaving  his  teams  and  goods  with  Mr.  Dela- 
hoyde,  saying  he  would  return  in  about  four  days. 

The  period  of  his  absence  was  a  time  of  suspense  and 
agony  to  both  Mr.  Del  ahoy  de  and  the  anxious  wife.  They 
both  mourned  over  their  ill-fortune,  sometimes  despairing 
of  ever  seeing  their  boys  again,  then  brightening  up  as 
some  new  theory  would  be  advanced  by  either  one  of  them. 

Promptly  on  the  evening  of  the  fourth  day  after  his 
departure  from  the  ranch,  Curtis  made  his  appearance. 
He  reported  that  it  was  the  opinion  of  the  commanding 
officer  at  Fort  Harker  that  the  boys  had  fallen  in  with  some 
band  of  Indians,  and  were  now  with  them  up  in  the  moun- 


222  THE   DELAHOYDEB 

tains,  as  at  this  time  of  the  year  they  generally  migrated 
there  to  gather  nuts  and  berries  for  their  winter's  supply, 
and  would  not  return  to  their  permanent  villages  until 
November.  Nothing  could  be  done  in  the  way  of  sending 
out  scouts  to  learn  whether  there  were  any  white  captives 
among  them,  as  it  was  not  known  at  what  point  in  the 
mountains  the  savages  had  gone.  He  told  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Delahoyde  that  the  officers  at  the  post  all  agreed  that  their 
sons  were  in  no  immediate  danger,  for  if  they  were  held 
by  the  Indians  they  would  not  injure  them,  as  there  was 
a  sort  of  peace  existing  between  all  the  tribes  and  the 
Government;  but  that  the  Indians  were  dissatisfied  with 
the  appearance  of  so  many  whites  on  their  hunting- 
grounds,  and  that  the  Government  had  appointed  a  Com- 
mission to  treat  with  them,  and  find  out,  if  possible,  what 
the  cause  of  their  grievance  was.  Congress  had  appro- 
priated a  very  large  sum  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the  Com- 
mission, and  it  was  to  convene  in  August  on  Medicine 
Lodge  creek,  in  Barber  county,  Kansas.  All  the  famous 
generals  of  the  United  States  Army,  and  several  Sena- 
tors, composed  the  Commission,  and  it  was  to  be  fitted  out 
and  start  from  Fort  Ilarker,  on  the  Smoky  Hill,  which 
point  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  had  now  reached. 

The  principal  chiefs  of  all  the  Plains  tribes,  the  Chey- 
ennes,  Kiowas,  Arapahoes  and  Comanches,  had  promised 
to  be  present  at  the  council  and  have  a  talk  with  the  rep- 
resentatives of  the  "  Great  Father  "  at  Washington. 


NEWS   OF   THE   BOYB  223 

"  The  Council  won't  meet,  then,  for  two  months  yet  ?  " 
said  Mr.  Delahoyde. 

"  !N"o,"  replied  Curtis ;  "  this  is  only  the  last  of  June, 
and  I  suppose  the  Commission  will  not  get  ready  until  the 
last  of  August.  You  know  how  slowly  these  Government 
bodies  always  move! 

"  The  commanding  officer  at  Fort  Harker  thinks  that 
I  would  better  go  on  down  to  the  Cheyenne  village  in  the 
Wichita  Mountains,  and  find  out  from  any  old  Indians 
who  may  have  stayed  there  while  the  rest  of  the  tribe  are 
away,  whether  their  friends  the  Comanches  had  any  cap- 
tives among  them.  You  know  that  the  Cheyennes  and 
Comanches  are  never  hostile  with  each  other,  and  are 
always  well  acquainted  with  the  doings  of  their  different 
bands." 

"  I  think  that  you  are  correct,"  said  Mr.  Delahoyde. 
"  I  suppose  you  are  ready  to  leave  here  by  to-morrow 
morning  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have  a  load  of  goods  for  the  Cheyennes,  and 
will  start  at  daylight." 

The  trader  left  the  ranch  early  the  next  morning,  tak- 
ing the  Mexican  with  him,  who,  having  nothing  to  do, 
was  anxious  for  a  job,  and  gladly  accepted  the  offer  to 
drive  the  team. 

Curtis  was  gone  about  ten  days,  when  he  returned  to 
the  ranch  and  reported  that  there  were  four  boys  who 
had  run  into  the  Comanche  camp  one  night,  and  that  they 
were  now  with  the  tribe  in  the  mountains  of  Old  Mexico. 


224  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

They  were  all  right,  said  Curtis;  had  been  treated  just 
as  if  they  were  of  the  tribe,  and  had  been  adopted  by  it. 

This  was  good  news  to  the  lonely  family  at  the  ranch, 
and  their  worry  over  the  possible  death  of  their  sons 
ceased,  now  they  were  assured  of  their  safety. 

The  days  dragged  along  very  slowly  until  August  came, 
when  the  Delahoydes  heard  that  the  Commission  had  left 
Fort  Harker,  escorted  by  cavalry,  the  famous  regiment 
commanded  by  the  intrepid  General  Custer. 

Eed  Bear  was  too  old  to  attend  the  council  in  person, 
so  he  sent  his  son  to  represent  him,  who  was  told  by  his 
father  to  say  nothing  of  the  presence  of  the  white  cap- 
tives in  their  village,  as  the  old  man  had  become  attached 
to  the  boys  and  did  not  want  to  part  with  them. 

This  may  seem  strange  to  the  uninitiated  in  Indian 
character;  but  they  are  possessed  of  strong  likes  and  dis- 
likes— so  it  was  not  derogatory  to  their  vagaries  that  he 
should  become  attached  to  his  young  captives,  and  did 
not  want  to  give  them  up. 


The  meeting  of  the  famous  chiefs  at  Medicine  Lodge 
creek  was  one  of  the  most  important  that  has  ever  occurred 
in  the  history  of  Indian  treaties. 

There  were  about  six  thousand  members  of  the  four 
tribes  assembled  there,  and  some  of  the  greatest  soldiers 
the  United  States  has  furnished.  General  Sherman,  then 
General  of  the  Army,  Generals  Harney,  Terry,  Marcy, 


THE   PEACE    COMMISSION  225 

Auger,  Gibbs,  and  others  of  lesser  fame,  together  with 
Senator  John  B.  Henderson,  of  Missouri,  and  other  prom- 
inent civilians  in  the  public  service,  composed  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Government.  This  body  is  known  to  his- 
tory as  "  The  Peace  Commission,"  whose  duty  it  was  to 
learn  from  the  Indians  themselves  the  cause  of  their  griev- 
ances, and  make  such  a  treaty  with  them  as  would  forever 
put  an  end  to  the  continuous  hostilities  which  year  after 
year  devastated  the  frontier. 

An  agreement  was  entered  into,  after  much  parleying, 
which  came  near  ending  in  a  row;  and  there  would  have 
been  another  massacre  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  excellent 
disposition  which  had  been  made  of  the  troops,  which  com- 
pletely surrounded  the  Indians,  who  outnumbered  the  sol- 
diers by  many  hundreds,  and  who  foresaw  nothing  but  a 
terrible  slaughter  of  their  warriors  if  they  took  the  initi- 
ative. 

The  treaty  was  signed,  as  they  always  are,  by  each 
chief  touching  the  pen,  (some  of  them  were  mounted  and 
riding  furiously  around,)  while  a  clerk  handed  it  to  him, 
the  ignorant  savage  having  no  more  idea  what  he  was  sub- 
scribing to  than  if  it  had  been  a  Greek  manuscript. 

Congress  failed  to  make  any  appropriation  to  carry  into 
effect  the  stipulations  of  the  treaty,  and  after  waiting 
patiently  for  nearly  nine  months  for  the  Government  to 
fulfill  its  pledges,  the  Indians  became  disgusted  at  the 
broken  faith,  allied  themselves  for  one  grand  demonstra- 

—  15 


226  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

tion,  and  commenced  a  series  of  raids  along  the  border, 
extending  from  the  Nebraska  line  to  the  northern  confines 
of  Texas. 

Then  the  Government  sent  General  Sheridan  to  com- 
mence an  active  campaign  against  the  allied  tribes.  He 
took  the  field  in  person,  and  inaugurated  his  memorable 
winter  march,  with  such  lieutenants  as  Generals  Ouster 
and  Sully.  In  seven  months  the  savages  were  completely 
vanquished,  and  a  peace  was  brought  about  that  has  never 
been  broken  on  the  Central  Plains. 

The  first  battle  occurred  in  September,  1868,  on  the 
Arrickaree  Fork  of  the  Republican  river,  just  over  the 
Nebraska  line  north  of  Kansas,  when  General  Forsyth,  of 
the  commanding  general's  staff,  with  fifty-two  picked  men, 
all  civilians,  held  at  bay  for  over  a  week  more  than  eight 
hundred  of  the  savages,  who  were  at  last  compelled  to  re- 
treat. It  was  one  of  the  most  terribly  unequal  battles  in 
all  the  history  of  our  Indian  wars.1 

At  the  commencement  of  hostilities  all  the  settlers, 
scattered  at  varying  distances  on  the  river  and  creeks,  were 
compelled  to  abandon  their  claims  and  seek  the  protection 
of  the  military  at  the  several  posts.  The  Delahoydes  left 
their  beautifully  timbered  home  and  went  to  Fort  Harker, 
which  was  then  the  largest  military  post  near  to  them. 
The  cattle,  ponies,  and  the  many  pets  of  Carl  and  Pierre 
were  also  taken  there,  and  excited  considerable  wonder 

i  For  a  detailed  description  of  this  fight,  see  "  Tales  of  the  Trail,"  Crane  A  Co., 
Topeka,  Kansas. 


OPENING   THE    CAMPAIGN  227 

among  the  children  of  the  officers,  and  of  course  were 
kindly  cared  for  by  the  boys  and  girls,  under  whose  charge 
they  were  placed. 

In  October  following  the  battle  on  the  Arrickaree  Fork 
of  the  Eepublican,  General  Sheridan  changed  his  head- 
quarters from  Fort  Hays,  on  the  railroad,  to  Fort  Dodge, 
on  the  Arkansas,  where  were  to  be  concentrated  the  troops 
for  active  service  in  the  field  against  the  allied  tribes,  as 
he  had  determined  to  strike  a  blow  at  those  savages  in 
their  winter  quarters;  something  which  had  never  before 
been  attempted  in  all  our  wars  with  the  Plains  Indians. 

The  expedition  intended  to  operate  south  of  the  Arkan- 
sas— one  of  the  favorite  haunts  of  the  Indians — was  com- 
prised of  the  larger  portion  of  the  famous  Seventh  United 
States  Cavalry,1  General  Ouster's  regiment,  and  some 
companies  of  the  Third  Infantry.  It  had  early  in  Sep- 
tember already  crossed  the  Arkansas,  under  command  of 
General  Alfred  Sully,  whose  reputation  as  an  Indian 
fighter,  during  the  celebrated  Sioux  campaign  of  1864, 
placed  him  at  the  head  of  the  list. 

When  General  Sully' s  command  reached  the  Cimarron 
it  encountered  the  savages,  who  fought  him  all  day,  but 
at  night,  as  is  usual,  suspended  hostilities, — for  they 
seldom  attack  after  dark. 

The  next  morning,  as  his  command  got  strung  out,  a 

1  Seventh  Cavalry,  the  famous  regiment  commanded  by  the  lamented  Ouster,  and 
which  has  fought  more  battles  with  the  Indians  than  any  other  in  the  service.  It  was 
nearly  annihilated  by  Sitting  Bull,  the  great  Sioux  warrior,  at  the  battle  of  the  Little 
Big  Horn  (sometimes  called  the  Rosebud),  where  Custer  lost  his  life. 


228  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

band  of  two  or  three  hundreds  warriors  dashed  at  the  rear 
of  the  column,  and  succeeded  in  cutting  off  a  few  led 
horses  and  two  of  the  troopers  who  had  lingered  behind. 
The  rear  guard,  commanded  that  day  by  Captain  Louis 
McLane  Hamilton,1  of  the  cavalry,  immediately  wheeled 
his  troops  about  and  prepared  to  charge  the  savages,  who 
were  about  to  carry  off  the  two  captured  troopers.  The 
savages,  who  were  within  pistol-range,  were  gallantly 
charged,  and  obliged  to  give  up  one  of  their  prisoners,  but 
in  abandoning  him,  cruelly  shot  him  through  the  body 
and  left  him  on  the  trail,  supposed  to  be  mortally  wounded, 
while  they  succeeded  in  escaping  with  the  other  unfortu- 
nate trooper.2 

As  the  command  moved  along,  the  Indians  harassed  it 
at  every  step,  and  at  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
a  general  engagement  took  place  with  the  allied  Chey- 
ennes,  Arapahoes,  and  Kiowas,  resulting  in  the  retreat  of 
the  troops  toward  Fort  Dodge,  which  they  reached  the  next 
day,  after  almost  continuous  fighting,  and  having  ex- 
hausted their  ammunition.  Luckily,  the  savages  aban- 
done4  the  conflict,  satisfied  with  driving  the  troops  away 
from  the  vicinity  of  their  villages. 

Effective  measures  were  at  once  decided  upon.  It  was 
determined  to  establish  a  temporary  base  of  supplies  at 

1 A  grandson  of  Alexander  Hamilton. 

sThe  poor  fellow  was  tortured  to  death,  as  was  related  by  the  Indians  themselves 
after  the  war  had  ended.  He  was  tied  to  a  stake,  strips  of  flesh  cut  from  his  body,  arms 
and  legs,  burning  brands  thrust  Into  the  bleeding  wounds,  the  nose,  lips  and  ears  cut 
off,  and  finally,  when  from  loss  of  blood  and  terrible  pain,  he  fell  to  the  ground,  the 
younger  savages  were  allowed  to  rush  upon  him  and  dispatch  him  with  their  knives. 


LOCATING    CAMP    SUPPLY  229 

some  point  yet  to  be  chosen,  about  a  hundred  miles  south 
of  Fort  Dodge,  from  which  place  forage  and  rations  for 
the  troops  operating  against  the  savages  could  be  drawn. 

On  the  12th  of  November  all  was  ready  for  a  grand 
movement,  and  an  immense  train  of  four  hundred  army 
wagons,  loaded  with  forage  for  the  cavalry  horses  and 
rations  for  the  troops,  started  from  Fort  Dodge,  escorted 
by  a  few  companies  of  infantry,  who  were  to  guard  it 
and  become  the  garrison  of  the  cantonment1  to  be  s'elected. 
They  crossed  the  Arkansas  at  Mulberry  creek,  twelve 
miles  below  the  fort,  and,  camping  there  that  night,  the 
next  morning  began  their  march  to  the  Indian  Territory. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  sixth  day  after  leaving  the  Ar- 
kansas, the  command  arrived  at  the  junction  of  the  Beaver 
and  Wolf  rivers,  those  streams  forming  the  North  Fork 
of  the  Canadian,  where  it  was  determined  to  locate  the 
base  of  operations,  and  to  which  was  given  the  name  of 
Camp  Supply. 

Two  or  three  days  after  the  arrival  of  the  troops  at 
Camp  Supply,  General  Sheridan  made  his  appearance, 
and  immediately  relieved  General  Sully  from  command 
of  the  forces,  placing  General  Custer  at  their  head,  who 
was  at  once  ordered  to  prepare  for  an  aggressive  campaign 
against  the  hostile  savages. 

As  many  of  the  best  wagons  and  teams  as  were  consid- 
ered necessary  for  the  impending  expedition  were  selected 

1  Cantonment:  Literally,  a  canton,  or  district  where  soldiers  are  quartered.  In 
common  military  parlance  now,  temporary  rude  shelters.  In  the  field  or  elsowhere. 


280  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

from  the  immense  train,  and  rations  and  forage  to  last 
thirty  days  were  loaded  into  them.  The  Seventh  Cavalry, 
Glister's  own  regiment,  comprising  eleven  companies,  ag- 
gregating about  nine  hundred  men,  now  awaited  orders 
for  their  search  of  the  whereabouts  of  the  Indian  villages. 

On  the  22d  of  the  month,  General  Sheridan  issued  or- 
ders for  the  command  of  General  Ouster  to  move  out  at 
daylight  next  morning.  That  evening  a  terrible  storm  of 
snow,  sleet  and  hail  commenced, — one  of  the,  worst  ever 
known  in  that  region;  and  when  the  morning  broke,  al- 
though the  storm  had  abated,  the  ground  was  covered  with 
snow  to  the  depth  of  a  foot,  and  snow  was  still  falling. 

It  was  scarcely  daylight  when  the  several  troop  com- 
manders reported  to  General  Ouster  that  they  were  ready 
to  move.  "  Boots  and  saddles m  was  quickly  sounded. 
Then,  as  every  man  had  fixe4  his  trappings,  "  To  horse !  " 
woke  the  silence  of  the  somber  camp,  and  after  the  usual 
commands,  "  Prepare  to  mount,"  and  "  Mount,"  were 
given,  each  trooper  sprang  into  his  seat,  the  "  Advance  " 
was  blown  by  the  orderly  trumpeter,  and  with  the  band 
at  the  head  of  the  column,  just  as  it  struck  up  "  The  Girl 
I  Left  Behind  Me  "  the  troops  moved  out  in  the  snow  and 
wind. 

Not  a  man  of  the  whole  of  the  large  command  had  ever 
before  been  in  that  part  of  the  country,  excepting  the 
Osage  Indian  guides,  Little  Beaver  and  Hard  Hope,  and 
even  they  stated  that  they  could  not  tell  anything  about 

1  "Boots  and  toddles,"  a  bugle-call  to  prepare  for  the  march,  In  the  cavalry  service. 


CAMPING   IN   THE    BNOW  231 

which  way  to  travel  until  the  snow  stopped  falling  and 
they  were  able  to  see  the  landmarks  with  which  they  were 
familiar.  Thus,  progress  was  very  slow,  handicapped  as 
the  command  was  by  the  condition  of  the  atmosphere ;  nor 
could  it  camp  that  night  where  originally  intended,  on 
account  of  the  inability  of  the  guides  to  tell  where  they 
were. 

They  marched  on  through  the  storm  until  about  two 
o'clock,  when  a  place  was  selected  on  Wolf  creek  at  whicli 
to  remain  until  morning;  although  the  snow  continued  to 
fall,  with  little  prospect  of  its  stopping.  Fortunately, 
there  was  an  abundance  of  timber  on  the  stream,  but  it 
was  very  difficult  to  procure,  on  account  of  the  depth  of 
the  snow.  However,  fires  were  soon  kindled,  and  the 
warmth  of  their  blaze  had  the  effect  of  putting  every  one 
in  good-humor,  and  when  the  supper  was  ready  content- 
ment pervaded  the  camp. 

Morning  came  with  a  clear  sky,  but  as  the  snow  had 
continued  to  fall  during  most  of  the  night,  the  earth  was 
now  covered  to  the  depth  of  a  foot  and  a  half,  and  the 
march  that  day  was  a  wearisome  one ;  but  when  camp  was 
reached  at  night,  the  same  difficulties  had  to  be  contended 
with,  excepting  that  the  storm  was  no  longer  a  disturbing 
element. 

Out  on  the  route  early  on  the  morning  of  the  third  day 
from  Camp  Supply,  nothing  of  any  particular  importance 
occurred,  and  the  command  plodded  wearily  along,  and 
encamped  in  the  same  valley  that  night. 


232  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

The  next  morning,  after  ascending  a  high  divide 
for  some  hours,  the  descent  began,  and  the  Indian 
guides  said  that  the  valley  the  command  was  to  enter  was 
that  of  the  Canadian;  and  upon  its  bank  camp  was  made 
that  night. 

In  the  morning  the  river  was  crossed  with  some  diffi- 
culty, on  account  of  the  rapidity  of  the  current  and  the 
great  masses  of  floating  ice  with  which  it  was  burdened. 

It  was  firmly  believed  that  the  villages  of  the  hostile 
savages  were  located  somewhere  south  of  the  Canadian, 
and  every  one  was  on  the  alert,  particularly  the  Osage 
guides,  to  discover  a  trail  leading  from  the  river  to  them. 
At  last  it  was  found,  about  twelve  miles  up  the  stream, 
and  preparations  were  made  to  follow  it. 

The  wagon  train  was  to  be  left  in  charge  of  a  detail, 
and  only  such  supplies  as  coiild  be  taken  by  the  men 
strapped  to  their  saddles  were  allowed.  One  hundred 
rounds  of  ammunition  were  allotted  to  each  trooper,  a  little 
ground  coffee  and  hard  bread,  together  with  a  small  amount 
of  forage  for  his  horse. 

The  route  carried  the  anxious  troopers  through  the  snow, 
which  was  over  a  foot  deep,  and  the  ground  very  rough, 
which  made  it  terribly  bad  for  the  horses  to  get  along; 
and  it  was  nine  o'clock  at  night  before  the  command  halted 
for  rest  and  to  feed  their  tired  animals. 

It  was  at  first  proposed  to  continue  the  pursuit  of  the 
trail  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  but  Little  Beaver,  the  chief 
of  the  Osages,  strongly  advised  against  it;  he  gave  no 


CUBTEB  AFTER  THE  INDIANS  283 

valid  reason  for  his  objection,  However,  and  the  order  was 
given.  So  at  ten  o'clock  the  men  were  all  in  their  saddles, 
and  silently  the  column  stretched  out, — not  a  word  allowed 
to  be  spoken  or  a  bugle-note  to  be  sounded,  for  it  was  not 
known  how  near  the  savages  might  be. 

The  Osage  scouts,  famous  trailers,  led  out,  with  whom 
General  Ouster  rode,  the  cavalry  following  in  the  rear  at 
a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  This  was  the  disposition 
of  the  command,  for  the  reason  that  the  snow  was  crusty, 
and  the  tread  of  so  many  horses  breaking  through  it  would 
make  too  much  noise,  that  might  be  heard  a  long  way  off. 

At  last  one  of  the  guides  stopped,  and  when  General 
Custer  asked  him  what  was  the  matter,  he  replied  that 
he  smelt  fire.  He  was  then  told  to  proceed  again,  but  to 
be  very  wary ;  and  when  he  again  halted  and  the  General 
came  up  to  him  the  second  time,  he  said,  "  Me,  told  you 
so !  "  and  looking  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the  Indian, 
the  almost  extinguished  embers  of  a  fire  could  be  seen, 
just  on  the  edge  of  the  timber  not  a  hundred  yards  away. 
That  it  had  been  built  by  an  Indian  was  beyond  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  doubt ;  and  to  make  sure  that  the  savages  had 
been  there,  and  how  many  of  them  there  were,  the  Gen- 
eral ordered  the  scouts  to  dismount,  and,  with  their  rifles 
ready  for  use  at  an  instant's  warning,  to  proceed  cau- 
tiously to  where  the  still-glowing  coals  could  be  seen,  and 
investigate. 

Anxious  moments  passed  while  the  Indian  scouts  were 
gone  on  their  mission.  When  they  returned  they  reported 


234  THE  DELAHOYDES 

that  the  fire  had  been  deserted,  but  that  from  the  great  num- 
ber of  pony-tracks  in  the  vicinity  it  must  have  been 
kindled  by  herders,  and  that  it  was  their  feeding-ground 
on  which  the  fire  had  been  made. 

From  these  facts,  which  were  not  to  be  disputed,  it  was 
believed  that  the  command  were  not  more  than  a  mile  or 
two  from  the  main  village;  so  the  utmost  caution  was 
now  necessary,  in  order  to  surprise  the  savages  in  their 
lodges.  The  Indian  scouts  were  then  ordered  to  go  on, 
and  accompanied  by  the  General  they  stole  silently  up  a 
little  divide.  As  they  neared  its  crest,  one  of  them  went 
ahead  (as  was  always  their  custom),  and  looked  over  into 
a  little  valley  below. 

After  listening  intently  for  a  few  moments,  as  he  peered 
into  the  darkness,  he  turned  to  Ouster  and  said  in  a 
whisper,  "  Heap  Injuns  down  there !  " 

The  General  vainly  gazed  to  where  the  scout  had 
pointed,  and  then  inquired  of  him  why  he  thought  there 
were  Indians  over  there. 

"  Me  hear  dog  bark !  "  was  the  reply. 

That  was  very  satisfactory  to  General  Ouster;  because 
if  the  Osage  really  had  heard  the  dogs  bark,  it  was  an 
assurance  that  a  village  was  close  at  hand,  for  the  savages 
never  take  their  dogs  with  them  on  a  raid,  while  their 
villages  are  infested  with  them. 

Listening  again,  the  General  was  himself  rewarded  by 
distinctly  hearing  the  growling  and  snapping  of  dogs  away 
off  in  the  heavy  timber,  and  very  shortly  after,  the  faint 


PLANNING  FOR   THE   ATTACK  235 

tinkling  of  a  bell  was  wafted  to  his  ears  on  the  still, 
wintry  air,  which  indicated  that  a  herd  of  ponies  was  near. 
Then  another  unmistakable  sound  came — that  of  an  infant 
(for  of  course  Indian  babies  cry  as  do  those  of  the  white 
race).  And  now,  doubly  assured  that  an  Indian  village 
lay  below  him,  he  returned  to  the  main  body  of  the  scouts 
and  Osages,  and  by  one  of  them  was  sent  a  message  to 
the  troops,  ordering  the  most  perfect  silence  on  their  part, 
and  directing  every  officer  to  hasten  and  report  to  him. 

When  the  officers  had  all  noiselessly  arrived  at  the  point 
where  their  commander  stood,  he  told  them  what  he  had 
seen  and  heard,  that  they  might  personally  know  the  exact 
location  of  the  village  and  the  character  of  the  ground 
their  troopers  would  have  to  charge  over  in  making  the 
proposed  attack.  Sabres  were  then  taken  off,  gently  laid 
on  the  snow,  and  with  the  General  his  officers  carefully 
crawled  to  the  summit  of  the  crest,  to  there  obtain  a  view 
of  the  valley  below. 

In  suppressed  conversation,  so  as  to  prevent  a  sound 
reaching  the  unsuspecting  savages,  the  General  made  his 
plans  and  assigned  to  each  troop-commander  just  what  he 
was  to  do.  The  idea  was  to  completely  surround  the 
village,  and  at  daybreak,  or  as  soon  as  it  should  become 
light  enough  to  see,  to  charge  in  upon  the  Indians  from 
every  side. 

It  was  intensely  cold  as  the  morning  approached,  but 
fires  were  an  impossibility,  and  for  four  terrible  hours 
the  shivering  troops  had  to  wait  for  the  dawn  which  would 


236  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

enable  them  to  see  where  to  go.  Stamping  their  feet  to 
excite  the  blood,  and  thus  put  some  warmth  in  them,  was 
forbidden,  and  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  stand  and 
suffer.  During  all  those  fearfully  long  hours,  every  man 
stood  at  his  horse's  head,  bridle-reins  in  hand,  anxious 
for  light  and  to  be  away  from  such  dismal  surroundings. 

The  first  streaks  of  the  coming  day  at  least  began  to 
light  up  the  eastern  horizon,  and  all  were  to  prepare  for 
the  advance.  Although  the  air  was  freezing,  overcoats, 
haversacks,  and  all  other  things  which  might  interfere 
with  their  quick  movements,  were  ordered  removed, — and 
especially  were  the  men  forbidden  to  fire  a  shot  until  the 
signal  to  attack  was  sounded. 

The  plan  of  operations  for  the  command,  as  it  was  now 
formed,  was  for  each  squadron  in  its  assigned  place  to  get 
as  close  to  the  village  as  possible  without  being  discov- 
ered, and  at  daylight  the  band  to  play  at  the  instant  the 
charge  was  to  be  made. 

The  command  approached  so  near  the  lodges  that  Ous- 
ter really  feared  he  had  been  discovered,  and  that  they 
had  all  been  deserted  some  time  before;  but  noticing 
smoke  issuing  from  some  of  them,  he  was  satisfied  the 
village  was  still  inhabited. 

The  General  was  in  the  lead,  as  ever,  while  immedi- 
ately in  the  rear  of  his  horse  came  the  band,  all  mounted, 
each  musician  with  his  instrument  glued  to  his  lips,  wait- 
ing for  the  signal.  The  leader  had  been  told  before,  that 
when  they  struck  up,  the  tune  should  be  "  Garry  Owen," 


CAUGHT   NAPPING  237 

as  an  initial  piece.  At  the  moment  when  Ouster  was 
about  to  give  the  signal  for  the  attack  to  begin,  a  single 
shot  from  a  rifle  rang  out  clearly  on  the  crisp  morning 
air,  and  suddenly  turning  to  the  band-leader,  the  General 
ordered  him  to  strike  up.  At  once  the  long-familiar  tune 
to  the  troopers  of  the  regiment  sounded  forth  through 
the  timbered  valley,  and  the  cheers  of  the  men  as  they 
recognized  the  rollicking,  fighting  air,  were  reechoed  from 
the  squadrons  on  the  opposite  side ;  and  while  the  trumpets 
blew  the  charge,  quickly  the  impatient  soldiers  dashed 
right  into  the  sleeping  village.  It  was  like  a  thunderbolt 
from  a  cloudless  sky.  Caught  napping,  the  savages  came 
rushing  out  from  their  lodges  as  the  gallant  Seventh  Cav- 
alry struck  them.  The  Indians  soon  rallied  from  their 
surprise,  however,  and  in  a  few  moments,  from  behind 
trees  and  from  the  banks  of  the  creek,  they  began  a  vig- 
orous defense  of  their  homes  and  little  ones. 

It  was  the  humane  intention  of  General  Custer  to  fight 
only  those  who  were  classed  as  the  warriors  of  the  tribe; 
but  when  the  little  boys,  often  not  more  than  from  seven 
to  ten  years  old,  expert  in  the  use  of  the  bow  and  arrow 
as  well  as  of  the  more  murderous  revolver,  began  getting 
in  their  work  on  the  soldiers,  it  became  necessary  as  a 
measure  of  self-defense  to  get  them  out  of  the  way  as 
well  as  the  older  men.  The  gallant  Colonel  Benteen, 
than  whom  a  better  or  braver  soldier  never  drew  saber, 
had  to  kill  a  mere  lad  of  fifteen,  who  persistently,  in  spite 
of  all  the  efforts  of  the  Colonel  to  save  the  boy's  life  by 


238  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

taking  him  prisoner,  fired  shot  after  shot  from  his  revolver 
at  the  Colonel's  head,  and  who  would  not  listen  for  a  mo- 
ment to  peace  overtures  and  be  saved.  He  had  fired  sev- 
eral times  at  the  Colonel,  always  missing  him;  but  at 
last  a  bullet  went  through  his  horse's  neck  and  another 
in  a  very  uncomfortable  proximity  to  his  own  head.  He 
now  made  another  effort  to  induce  the  plucky  redskin  to 
surrender,  to  which  he  paid  no  attention,  but  aimed  his 
revolver  for  a  fourth  or  fifth  shot.  Then,  with  deep  re- 
gret for  the  necessity  of  his  action,  the  Colonel  dispatched 
him. 

The  center  of  the  village  was  soon  gained  by  the  troop- 
ers, and  a  terrible  hand-to-hand  fight  took  place,  as  they 
found  it  impossible  to  dislodge  the  infuriated  warriors 
from  their  places  of  refuge  behind  the  trees  and  the  bank 
of  the  creek,  which  they  were  utilizing  as  a  sort  of  rifle- 
pit.  So  every  man  fought  for  himself,  observing  the  same 
tactics  as  the  savages,  taking  advantage  of  the  shelter  the 
trees  afforded,  where  by  their  superior  aim  they  effected 
the  dislodgment  of  their  enemies. 

An  incident  occurred  during  the  fight  which  is  an  ex- 
ponent of  the  savage  instincts  of  the  Indian  race.  A  squad 
of  troopers  came  upon  a  squaw  who  was  endeavoring  to 
get  away,  leading  a  little  white  boy,  a  captive  of  the  tribe, 
taken  by  the  warriors  during  some  recent  raid  on  the  set- 
tlements. When  the  woman  saw  that  she  was  about  to  be 
surrounded  and  that  escape  was  impossible,  she  drew  from 
beneath  her  blanket  a  big  knife  and  plunged  it  into  the 


DE8PEKATE    FIGHTING    OP  THE    SAVAGES  239 

almost  naked  body  of  the  hapless  child.  The  men  could 
riot  resist  their  own  savage  impulse  on  such  an  exposition 
of  devilishness,  and  in  an  instant  the  fiendish  act  was 
punished  by  a  volley  of  bullets  fired  into  the  body  of  the 
squaw,  and  she  died  instantly. 

The  warriors  fought  with  a  desperation  worthy  the 
cause  for  which  they  struggled — the  defense  of  their  homes 
and  all  that  was  dear  to  them.  At  one  point,  in  a  natural 
depression  in  the  earth,  seventeen  of  the  savages  had  in- 
trenched themselves,  and  every  attempt  to  drive  them 
from  it  failed,  as  only  when  a  warrior  raised  his  head  to 
fire  was  it  possible  to  hit  one.  At  last  they  were  all  killed 
by  some  of  the  sharpshooters  securing  a  place  of  cover  and 
picking  them  off  one  by  one. 

Ten  o'clock  came,  and  still  the  fight  continued.  It 
was  supposed,  of  course,  that  some  of  the  warriors  had 
escaped;  but  greatly  to  the  surprise  of  the  General, 
through  his  field-glass  he  saw  on  the  divide  more  than  a 
hundred  mounted  savages,  all  in  full  war-paint,1  their 
lances  at  poise,  and  their  gayly  colored  war-bonnets  flash- 
ing in  the  sunlight.  It  did  not  seem  possible  that  so  many 
could  have  succeeded  in  getting  out  of  the  village  at  the 
first  attack,  surrounded  as  it  was  by  the  excellent  dispo- 
sition of  the  troopers,  and  the  General  was  at  a  loss  to 
account  for  their  presence  in  the  vicinity.  What  were 
his  thoughts  may  be  imagined,  on  being  told  by  one  of  the 

1  Painted  warriors.  All  North-American  Indians  bedaub  their  faces  and  bodies  be- 
fore going  out  to  battle. 


240  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

captured  squaws  that  immediately  below,  on  the  same 
stream,  were  located  a  succession  of  villages  of  the  hos- 
tile Indians, — Comanches,  Kiowas,  Arapahoes,  and  Chey- 
ennes;  that  the  one  which  he  had  just  taken  was  but  a 
portion  of  one  of  the  Cheyenne  villages;  that  the  nearest 
was  only  two  miles  distant,  and  the  farthest  ten. 

It  was  becoming  serious,  for  the  General  felt  certain 
that  he  would  soon  be  attacked  by  greatly  superior  num- 
bers, the  moment  the  horde  of  savages  below  on  the  stream 
could  make  their  preparations, — which  they  had  probably 
been  doing  ever  since  they  had  heard  the  firing  in  the 
village  he  had  just  captured,  the  battle  having  virtually 
ended  there. 

On  evejy  side  the  savages  could  be  seen  mustering  their 
forces,  and  from  having  surrounded  a  village,  the  troops 
were  now  themselves  surrounded;  the  situation  of  affairs 
was  completely  changed.  The  command  .was  hastily  re- 
formed and  posted  in  readiness  for  the  attack  which  was 
expected  as  soon  as  the  chiefs  and  warriors  could  reach 
there  from  the  lower  villages. 

A  temporary  hospital  had  been  established  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  captured  village,  and  the  wounded  cared  for 
as  well  as  they  could  be  under  the  circumstances.  Cap- 
tain Hamilton  was  killed  early  in  the  fight,  just  as  the 
command  entered  the  place,  and  he  fell  by  the  side  of 
Custer,  with  whom  he  was  riding  at  the  head  of  his 
squadron.  Captain  Barnitz,  another  squadron  com- 
mander, was  terribly  wounded,  and  in  a  dying  condition, 


DISAPPEARANCE    OF   MAJOR    ELLIOTT  241 

having  been  shot  through  the  body  in  the  region  of  the 
heart.  Of  Major  Elliott,  the  second  officer  in  rank  to  Ous- 
ter, nothing  had  been  seen  or  heard  since  early  in  the 
morning,  when  he  rode  with  his  detachment  of  troopers 
into  the  village.  He  had  nineteen  men  with  him,  includ- 
ing the  sergeant-major  of  the  regiment ;  and  upon  inquiry 
of  all  the  other  officers  and  many  of  the  enlisted  men, 
they  declared  that  nothing  had  been  seen  of  them  since 
the  first  charge  into  the  village.  The  conclusion  was  ar- 
rived at  that  he  and  his  force  had  by  some  means  been 
cut  off  from  the  main  command.  It  was  at  last  developed 
by  one  of  the  scouts,  that  immediately  after  the  attack 
upon  the  village  he  had  noticed  a  number  of  warriors 
escaping  through  a  gap  in  our  lines,  and  that  Major  El- 
liott had  started  in  pursuit.  Shortly  after  their  departure 
he  had  heard  sharp  firing  in  the  direction  taken  by  him, 
but  it  soon  ceased,  and  he  had  thought  no  more  about  it 
until  the  Major  and  his  men  were  reported  among  the 
missing. 

A  small  detachment  was  immediately  sent  in  the  direc- 
tion indicated  by  the  scout,  to  find  out  if  possible  what 
had  become  of  Major  Elliott  and  his  brave  command,  but 
they  returned  without  accomplishing  their  mission. 

The  large  herd  of  ponies,  numbering  over  a  thousand, 
were  then  ordered  killed  by  the  General,  as  it  was  im- 
possible to  take  them  along,  and  to  leave  them  for  the 
Indians  to  again  collect  would  be  a  very  unwise  thing. 

To  deprive  a  savage  of  his  means  of  transportation  would 
—  16 


242  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

be  as  severe  a  blow  to  him  as  could  be  inflicted.  So  an 
officer  was  detailed  to  take  a  detachment  of  troopers  and 
shoot  them.  Enough  were  saved  from  the  lot  to  carry  the 
prisoners  to  Camp  Supply,  and  the  remainder  were  dis- 
patched— a  cruel  necessity. 

The  last  act  of  the  tragedy  ended,  the  command  was 
re-formed,  and  dispositions  were  made  to  overcome  any 
resistance  to  the  advance  of  the  column  by  throwing  out 
skirmishers.  It  moved  out  with  colors  flying,  the  band 
playing,  and  the  prisoners  (all  women)  mounted  on  their 
ponies,  strongly  guarded,  immediately  in  rear  of  the 
troops. 

The  command  pushed  on,  and  continued  its  march  until 
long  after  dark,  by  which  time  it  had  arrived  at  the  vil- 
lages, which  it  was  found  had  been  deserted,  their  occu- 
pants having  fled  when  the  news  of  the  attack  on  Black 
Kettle  had  reached  them.  There  the  General  faced  his 
forces  about,  and  it  was  the  intention  to  reach  his  train 
of  supplies  as  soon  as  possible.  Arriving  at  the  battle- 
ground again,  but  not  halting,  the  troops  took  the  same 
trail  they  had  followed  in  going  to  the  village,  continuing 
on  until  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Then  it  was 
considered  prudent  to  bivouac  until  daylight,  after  sending 
a  squadron  ahead  to  reinforce  the  guard  at  the  train. 

As  soon  as  day  broke,  the  troopers  were  in  the  saddle 
again  and  marching  toward  the  train,  which  they  reached 
about  ten  o'clock,  and  which  to  their  great  joy  they  found 
safely  encamped. 


FATE    OF    MAJOR   ELLIOTT'S    COMMAND  243 

The  mules  were  immediately  hitched  to  the  wagons, 
without  waiting  for  breakfast,  and  early  in  the  afternoon 
camp  was  reached  in  the  timbered  valley  of  the  Washita. 
There  the  men  and  animals  took  their  first  "  square  meal," 
and  the  pickets  having  been  posted,  horses  were  unsaddled, 
the  tents  pitched,  and  every  one  made  himself  as  com- 
fortable as  possible. 

From  there  General  Ouster  sent  his  official  report  of 
the  engagement  to  General  Sheridan,  who  was  still  at 
Camp  Supply,  waiting  anxiously  to  hear  from  him. 

In  a  few  days,  without  any  incident  of  importance 
occurring,  the  command  arrived  at  Camp  Supply;  but 
the  rest  there  was  to  be  very  short.  In  less  than  a  week 
the  command  was  in  the  saddle  again,  reinforced  by  the 
addition  of  a  portion  of  the  Nineteenth  Kansas  Cavalry, 
which  had  been  raised  at  General  Sheridan's  request,  and 
on  the  way  south,  over  the  same  trail  taken  when  the  at- 
tack on  Black  Kettle's  village  was  made.  Upon  reach- 
ing there,  measures  were  at  once  taken  to  discover  the 
remains  of  Major  Elliott  and  his  men,  no  doubt  longer 
existing  of  their  fate.  General  Sheridan,  who  accompa- 
nied this  later  expedition,  thus  in  his  report  describes 
the  result  of  the  search  for  the  bodies  of  the  unfortunate 
men, — an  epitome  of  that  made  to  him  by  General  Custer : 

"  After  marching  a  distance  of  two  miles  in  the  direc- 
tion in  which  Major  Elliott  and  his  little  party  were  last 
seen,  we  suddenly  came  upon  the  stark-,  stiff,  naked,  and 
horribly  mutilated  bodies  of  our  dead  comrades.  No 


244  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

words  were  needed  to  tell  how  desperate  had  been  the 
struggle  before  they  were  finally  overpowered.  At  a 
short  distance  from  where  the  bodies  lay  could  be  seen 
the  carcasses  of  some  of  the  horses  of  the  party,  which 
had  probably  been  killed  early  in  the  fight.  Seeing  the 
hopelessness  of  breaking  through  the  line  which  sur- 
rounded them,  and  which  undoubtedly  numbered  more 
than  one  hundred  to  one,  Elliott  dismounted  his  men, 
who  tied  their  horses  together,  and  prepared  to  sell  their 
lives  as  dearly  as  possible.  The  bodies  of  Elliott  and  his 
little  band,  with  but  a  single  exception,  were  found  lying 
within  a  circle  not  exceeding  twenty  yards  in  diameter. 
We  found  them  exactly  as  they  fell,  except  that  their  bar- 
barous foes  had  stripped  and  mutilated  the  bodies  in  the 
most  savage  manner." 

The  punishment  inflicted  upon  the  Cheyennes  by  Gen- 
eral Ouster  at  the  village  of  Black  Kettle  virtually  ended 
the  war.  Since  that  time  the  savages  of  the  Great  Central 
Plains  have  been  forced  on  reservations,  and  no  serious 
disturbance  with  them  has  occurred. 


CHAPTER 


TJiE  BOYS  RUN  AWAY  FROM  THE  COMANCHES.  -  THEIR 
EVENTFUL  JOURNEY.  -  THEIR  SEQUESTERED  CAMPS.  - 
PIERRE  KILLS  AN  INDIAN  RUNNER.  -  VISIT  TO  THE  OLD 
RANCH.  -  THE  STORM.  -  THE  BUFFALO-HUNTER's  CABIN. 

•  -  A   SEARCH   FOR    MEAT.  --  SHOOT   A   DOE.  -  THE   TERRI- 
BLE STORM  KEEPS  THEM  SHUT  UP  FOR  SEVERAL  DAYS.  - 

-  START  ON  THEIR  TRAVELS   ONCE  MORE.  -  THE   SOUND 
OF  THE  BUGLES.  -  SEE  "  OLD  GLORY/'  -  START  FOR  THE 
FORT. 

BY  THE  first  of  November,  all  the  various  tribes  — 
the  Comanches,  Kiowas,  Cheyennes,  and  Arapa- 
hoes  —  had  established  themselves  in  their  winter 
quarters  on  the  Washita,  their  villages  extending  for  more 
than  twenty  miles  on  both  banks  of  the  stream,  with  that 
of  Black  Kettle's  near  the  head  of  the  river. 

In  the  Comanche  village,  where  the  boy-captives  were, 
there  was  a  continual  round  of  feasting,  dancing  and 
amusements  peculiar  to  the  savages,  for  the  season  had 
been  very  prolific  in  game  and  fruits,  so  they  had  an 
abundance  to  eat;  and  when  an  Indian  is  sure  of  a  meal 
he  is  contented. 

Runners  brought  the  news  that  Creeping  Panther1  had 
taken  the  war-path  with  thousands  of  his  "  Long  Knives,"2 

1  General  Ouster  was  called  by  the  Plains  tribes  "  The  Creeping  Panther,"  because 
of  the  manner  in  which  he  always  succeeded  In  surprising  them,  like  that  sly  animal 
creeping  upon  Its  game. 

*  "  Long  Knivet  "  has  been  the  designation  for  the  cavalry  among  the  Indians,  ever 
since  they  first  saw  those  troops  with  their  sabers,  In  the  early  days  of  the  century. 

(245) 


246  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

and  soon  ball-playing  and  other  games  gave  place  to  the 
scalp-dances  and  other  fetes  preceding  an  impending  war. 
In  a  short  time  after  it  was  ascertained  that  the  Govern- 
ment had  sent  troops  into  the  field  against  the  tribes, 
nearly  all  the  able-bodied  men  had  left  the  ComancliG 
village  to  join  the  allied  warriors  tinder  the  lead  of  the 
celebrated  chiefs  Satanta,  Bull  Bear,  Kicking  Bird,  Sa- 
tank,  Yellow  Bear,  Little  Raven,  and  a  host  of  other 
famous  savage  braves,  leaving  only  the  very  old  men, 
the  women  and  children  in  the  village. 

Summerfield,  Burton,  Carlos,  and  Pierre,  who  had 
now  become  proficient  in  the  strange  language  of  their 
captors,  were  ever  on  the  alert  to  catch  portions  of  the 
conversations  which  daily  took  place  between  Red  Bear 
and  his  runners  or  spies;  and  they  listened  with  eagerness 
to  the  report  that  a  camp  of  the  soldiers  had  been  estab- 
lished at  the  confluence  of  the  Wolf  and  Beaver  rivers, 
which  they  found  out  was  only  about  a  hundred  miles 
distant  as  the  crow  flies. 

The  vigilance  which  was  for  so  many  months  exercised 
to  prevent  their  possible  escape,  gradually  relaxed,  and' 
now  that  only  the  very  old  men  and  squaws  were  left  in  the 
village,  the  opportunities  for  consultation  among  them- 
selves were  frequent.  Heretofore  they  had  been  closely 
watched  whenever  they  were  found  talking  together,  and 
made  to  separate.  Only  late  at  night,  in  the  quiet  of  their 
lodge,  when  sleep  had  overpowered  their  captors,  could  they 
indulge  in  anything  like  an  animated  conversation. 


PLANNING    TO    ESCAPE  247 

One  day,  when  it  was  their  turn  to  watch  the  herd  of 
ponies  which  grazed  far  down  the  prairie,  and  for  some 
lucky  reason  none  of  the  other  Indian  boys  were  with  them, 
they  formulated  a  plan  to  make  their  escape  as  soon  as  the 
moon,  which  was  now  rapidly  waning,  had  disappeared. 

In  three  days  more,  on  pretense  of  going  on  a  fishing 
excursion,  they  quietly  selected  four  of  the  fastest  ponies 
in  the  herd,  knowing  well  from  a  long  experience  which 
they  were,  and  secreted  them  in  the  timber  late  in  the 
evening, —  determined  to  that  night  make  the  attempt 
for  freedom. 

They  had  for  several  days  previously  quietly  carried 
a  supply  of  dried  buffalo-meat  and  hidden  it  in  the  hollow 
of  an  old  cottonwood  tree,  for  rations  on  their  anticipated 
journey,  as  they  knew  that  they  would  not  dare  fire  a 
shot  on  the  way  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  food,  although 
they  intended  to  steal  their  rifles  from  the  lodge  of  old 
Red  Bear,  where  the  wily  chief  had  most  religiously  kept 
guard  over  them  ever  since  they  were  taken.  They  knew, 
however,  just  where  they  were,  and  saw  them  every  time 
they  entered  his  lodge ;  and  being  on  good  terms  with  the 
chief,  they  believed  themselves  smart  enough  to  get  the 
rifles  without  his  being  any  the  wiser. 

On  the  night  when  all  their  plans  were  consummated, 
Pierre  and  Carlos  went  into  the  old  chief's  tent  while  Sum- 
merfield  stayed  on  the  outside,  according  to  the  plan  they 
had  decided  upon  by  which  to  get  the  four  rifles.  Carlos 
engaged  the  old  fellow  in  conversation,  and  he  became 


248  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

much  interested.  He  liked  to  talk  with  the  white  boys 
sometimes,  and  to-night,  as  luck  would  have  it,  he  was  in 
a  particularly  good  humor.  So  he  did  not  notice  Pierre 
gently  remove  the  rifles  and  belts  of  cartridges  from  their 
place  on  the  floor,  and  slip  them  under  the  edge  of  the 
skin  which  formed  the  wall  of  the  lodge,  where  Summer- 
field  was  watching  for  them,  and  who,  the  moment  he 
got  his  hands  upon  them,  made  off  to  the  timber  and  hid 
them  near  where  the  ponies  were  tied. 

Carlos  and  Pierre  saw  that  their  plans  had  matured, 
and  still  interested  the  old  chief  until  they  thought  that 
sufficient  time  had  elapsed  for  their  confederate  to  accom- 
plish his  part  of  the  work.  Then  they  too  got  up,  made 
their  salutations  to  Red  Bear,  and  took  their  departure 
as  happy  as  can  be  imagined. 

All  went  to  their  lodge  at  the  usual  time  that  night,  and 
there  they  remained,  wide  awake,  but  perfectly  quiet, 
until  long  after  the  village  was  wrapped  in  deep  slumber. 
Then  they  silently  rose  from  their  bed  of  buffalo-robes, 
gathered  a  few  things  they  might  need,  and  passed  out 
into  the  darkness.  The  dogs,  of  course,  came  around  and 
smelled  of  them,  but,  satisfied  that  they  belonged  to  the 
village,  quietly  walked  away  to  their  accustomed  places, 
curled  themselves  up,  and  took  no  more  notice  of  the  boys, 
who  wended  their  way  to  the  timber. 

The  night  was  propitious  for  the  escape  of  the  young 
captives.  There  was  no  moon,  but  the  stars  shone  bril- 
liantly as  the  boys  silently  mounted  their  ponies,  and 


TRAVELING   AT   NIGHT  249 

guided  by  the  North  Star  (no  mistake  this  time)  they 
rode  out  on  the  open  prairie  with  light  hearts  and  breasts 
filled  with  hope. 

Pierre  was  the  first  to  break  the  silence,  after  they  had 
ridden  for  more  than  an  hour  without  saying  a  word : 

"  I  think  we  had  best  strike  straight  for  the  Canadian, 
and  then  follow  it  toward  the  west,  as  the  Wolf  and  Beaver 
rivers1  both  run  into  the  Canadian,  so  we  can't  miss  them." 

"  It  may  be  a  little  farther  that  way,"  said  Carlos, 
"  but  as  the  old  saying  has  it,  '  The  longest  way  round  is 
the  shortest  way  home.'  " 

The  ponies  the  boys  had  chosen  were  fast  walkers,  and 
they  made  about  four  miles  an  hour  over  a  very  level 
prairie,  after  they  got  away  from  the  breaks2  of  the 
Washita,  which  lasted  for  three  miles  or  more.  They  did 
not  dare  lope  their  animals,  as  they  did  not  propose  to 
make  a  halt  until  daylight.  Then  they  would  hide  them- 
selves in  some  ravine,  graze  their  ponies,  and  lie  perfectly 
quiet  until  darkness  came  on  again,  when  they  would  re- 
sume, their  journey.  They  knew  that  runners  from  the 
various  hostile  tribes  were  constantly  on  the  go  between 
the  soldiers  and  the  villages.  These  runners  hanging 
around  the  flanks  of  the  former,  without  themselves  being 
seen,  could  watch  every  movement  and  report  it  to  their 
war-chiefs, — for  the  Indians  have  a  most  perfect  system 

1  Wolf  and  Beaver  riven,  two  streams  south  of  the  Arkansas,  In  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory. 

8 The  "6r«afc«"  of  a  stream  are  the  hilly,  rough  region  contiguous  to  Its  banks; 
sometimes  stretching  on  one  or  both  sides  for  a  distance  of  many  miles. 


250  THE    DELAHOYDES 

of  espionage1  and  signals,  as  stated  in  a  previous  chapter. 
The  boys  did  not  fear  one  or  two  of  the  spies  if  they  should 
run  across  only  that  number  of  them  on  their  way,  but 
frequently  a  party  of  warriors,  detached  from  the  main 
force,  went  out  on  their  own  hook  on  a  horse-stealing 
foray,  and  it  might  not  be  very  healthy  to  run  into  one 
of  their  camps.  If  they  were  Comanches,  perhaps  it 
might  not  go  so  hard  with  them;  but  if  Kiowas,  Chey- 
ennes,  or  Arapahoes,  they  would  stand  no  chance  for  their 
lives,  as  now  the  savages  killed  and  scalped  every  white 
person  who  came  in  their  way,  irrespective  of  sex  or  age. 

When  daylight  showed  its  first  faint  streaks  in  the  east, 
the  boys  sought  a  well-sheltered,  rocky  ravine,  and  get- 
ting down  into  its  deep  bottom,  picketed  their  ponies  on  the 
grass,  which  is  generally  good  in  those  places.  After  eat- 
ing their  breakfast  of  the  dried  buffalo-meat,  and  having 
for  their  drink  only  water,  which  they  found  in  a  spring 
or  little  rivulet  running  through  the  diminutive  canon 
where  they  had  stopped,  they  laid  down  and  went  to  sleep, 
taking  turns  in  watching. 

They  had  to  guess  at  the  time  for  each  one's  turn  at 
guard,  for  both  Summerfield's  and  Burton's  watches  had 
been  taken  from  them  and  broken  up,  the  first  day  after 
their  capture,  by  the  old  chief  Red  Bear. 

They  slept  very  soundly,  each  one  taking  his  turn,  aa 
he  was  called  when  apparently  two  hours  had  elapsed, 
and  so  the  time  passed  until  darkness  spread  its  welcome 

1  Espionage,  a  system  of  spying. 


MAKING    CALCULATIONS  251 

mantle  over  the  earth.  Then  they  saddled  up,  and  again 
taking  their  direction  from  the  North  Star,  continued  on 
that  course  until  daylight  made  its  appearance,  when  they 
once  more  sought  a  sheltered  ravine,  and  camped  in  its 
friendly  depth  all  that  day. 

Just  before  they  laid  down  to  rest  in  the  early  dawn, 
they  began  to  figure  upon  how  many  miles  they  had  made 
during  the  one  night  and  part  of  a  night  they  had  been 
traveling. 

"  Let 's  see,"  said  Summerfield ;  "  it  was  about  ten 
o'clock  when  we  started  from  the  village,  and  daylight 
comes  by  seven.  That  would  make  nine  hours  that  we 
were  on  the  way  before  we  stopped  yesterday  morning, 
so  we  must  have  made  thirty  miles,  at  least,  the  first  night." 

"All  of  that,"  said  Carlos;  "and  we  did  better  last 
night,  for  we  got  an  earlier  start  by  four  hours ;  don't  you 
think  so,  Pierre  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Pierre ;  "  we  must  be  more  than  seventy 
miles  from  the  village,  and  close  to  Hackberry  creek." 

"  I  wonder  where  we  '11  cross  it  ? "  said  Burton. 
"  Would  n't  it  be  funny  if  we  should  strike  it  at  the  same 
place  where  we  camped  and  ate  the  turkey  Pierre  shot?  " 

"  Perhaps  we  may,"  said  Pierre.  "  Were  we  traveling 
in  daylight,  I  could  tell  something  about  where  we  are 
going  to  strike  it,  but  we  won't  know  anything  until  we 
are  right  on  top  of  it." 

"  But  even  if  it  is  as  dark  as  a  pocket,  we  can  tell 


252  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

whether  we  have  ever  been  at  that  particular  point  or  not," 
said  Carlos. 

"Well,  I  think  that  we  are  not  very  far  from  Hack- 
berry  now,"  SummorneJd  said;  "for  I  fancied  that  I 
could  see  a  dark  line  ahead  of  us  just  as  we  came  down 
into  this  ravine,  and  I  think  it  was  timber." 

"  If  you  were  right,"  said  Pierre ;  "  we  can't  be  more 
than  two  or  three  miles  away  from  it,  for  you  could  n't 
see  farther,  it  was  still  so  dark  when  we  came  down  in 
here.  I  '11  wait  until  day  fairly  comes,  and  then  I  '11  ven- 
ture on  top  of  the  ridge  and  take  a  look  for  the  timber. 
There  are  lots  of  rocks  out  on  the  ridge,  I  noticed  as  we 
came  here,  and  I  can  skulk  behind  them." 

"  Do  you  think  it 's  safe  to  take  any  chances  ? "  asked 
Burton.  "  Some  devil  of  a  savage  may  be  prowling 
around;  and  confound  them,  they  have  such  a  faculty  of 
seeing  farther  than  any  white  man  I  ever  knew !  " 

"I'll  risk  it,"  replied  Pierre.  "I  want  to  get  our 
bearings  anyhow,  and  I  can't  do  it  at  night.  It's  my 
first  turn  to  stand  guard,  and  while  you  fellows  sleep  I  '11 
go  up  on  the  ridge  and  take  a  peep  around." 

After  they  had  all  eaten  their  meager  breakfast,  all  ex- 
cepting Pierre  laid  down  on  their  saddle-blankets  to  rest. 
He  waited  until  it  grew  lighter;  then,  taking  his  rifle,  he 
sauntered  to  the  top  of  the  ravine,  where  the  ground  was 
covered  by  great  granite  boulders,  many  of  them  as  high 
as  a  man's  head.  He  wandered  around  cautiously  among 
them,  hiding  behind  their  smooth  surfaces,  and  at  last 


PIERRE    KILLS    AN    INDIAN  253 

got  a  good  glimpse  of  the  prairie  away  below  him  to  the 
north.  There,  sure  enough,  he  plainly  saw  the  line  of 
timber  which  Summerfield  declared  he  had  noticed,  about 
three  miles  off,  and  he  made  up  his  mind  that  it  must  be 
that  which  fringed  Hackberry  creek. 

While  carefully  peeping  around  the  angular  corners  of 
the  boulders,  he  thought  he  saw  something  resembling  a 
bunch  of  feathers,  which  seemed  to  move  very  slightly, 
as  if  by  a  breeze ;  but  as  there  was  no  wind  at  all,  not  the 
slightest  breath  of  zephyr  blowing,  he  thought  at  first  it 
must  be  a  bird.  On  thinking  a  moment  longer,  however, 
he  decided  that  it  was  impossible  that  a  bird  with  such 
gaudily  colored  plumage,  like  that  of  the  mallard  duck, 
could  be  in  the  region  at  the  present  time,  in  the  midst  of 
winter. 

Pierre  watched  the  object  which  had  so  riveted  his  at- 
tention for  a  few  moments,  when  to  his  surprise  he  saw 
that  there  stood  a  savage  dressed  in  his  war-bonnet,1  with 
his  bow  and  quiver  full  of  arrows,  behind  one  of  the  huge 
masses  of  granite,  and  that  he  was  watching  him  with  all 
the  cunning  of  his  race.  He  further  noticed  that  the  In- 
dian was  fingering  his  bow,  evidently  with  the  intention 
of  shooting  him, — believing,  perhaps,  that  Pierre  had  not 
yet  discovered  him. 

In  an  instant,  without  any  compunctions,  Pierre  sud- 

1H  Bonnet  "was  the  name  originally  given  to  a  head-dress  for  men,  before  the 
Introduction  of  hats.  It  Is  a  cap  without  a  visor.  An  Indian  war-bonnet  was  probably 
so  called  from  the  Scotch  bonnet,  but  It  In  nowise  resembles  it,  excepting  that  it  has 
no  visor.  It  Is  simply  a  band,  Into  which  feathers,  generally  of  the  eagle,  are  stuck, 
and  sometimes  extending  away  down  the  back  of  the  wearer. 


254  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

denly  drew  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  and,  taking  deliberate 
aim,  pulled  the  trigger,  and  with  a  convulsive  shudder  the 
savage  dropped  dead  in  his  tracks. 

The  report  of  Pierre's  rifle  brought  the  rest  of  the  boys 
to  the  top  of  the  ridge  in  a  moment,  with  their  rifles  ready 
for  instant  use, — for  they  knew  that  Pierre  would  not 
have  discharged  his  weapon  without  an  urgent  reason. 

Upon  arriving  at  where  Pierre  now  stood,  over  the  dead 
savage,  they  were  astonished,  and  Carlos  excitedly  asked 
whether  there  were  any  more  skulking  among  the  rocks. 

"  This  is  the  only  one  I  've  seen,"  replied  Pierre ;  "  but 
there  may  be  more,  and  you  fellows  would  better  take  a 
turn  around  and  see.  Be  awfully  careful,  and  don't  let 
them,  if  there  are  others,  get  the  drop  on  you.  I  don't 
believe  you  '11  find  any  more,  however,  or  they  would  have 
made  their  appearance  when  this  one  fell." 

All  the  boys,  leaving  the  dead  Indian  where  he  laid, 
made  the  rounds  of  the  boulders,  and  not  finding  any 
signs  that  others  had  been  there,  returned  to  examine  the 
one  Pierre  had  shot. 

"  lie  's  a  Cheyenne,"  said  Carlos,  picking  up  his  quiver 
and  scrutinizing  the  arrows. 

"  That 's  so,"  echoed  the  others,  who  had  made  them- 
selves familiar  with  the  different  weapons  of  the  several 
tribes;  for  one  who  is  used  to  them  can  easily  determine 
to  what  band  they  belong.  Moccasins,  too,  are  a  distin- 
guishing feature,  as  the  savages  of  each  tribe  have  a  dif- 
ferent style. 


TAKING   A   CHANCE   BY   DAYLIGHT  255 

"  I  would  like  ,to'  have  his  war-bonnet,"  said  Summer- 
field,  as  he  took  it  off  the  head  of  the  dead  warrior; 
<:  that  is,  if  I  am  ever  going  to  get  back  to  Boston." 

"  Take  it,  if  you  want  it,"  said  Pierre,  "  and  this  hand- 
some quiver  and  arrows,  too.  You  can  easily  pack  them 
on  your  pony.  As  for  the  dead  savage  himself,  we  '11  just 
let  him  stay  where  he  is.  The  wolves  will  soon  have  a 
feast  off  his  bones.  We  could  n't  bury  him  if  we  wanted 
to — the  ground  is  too  hard;  besides,  we  haven't  got  any- 
thing to  dig  with." 

"  I  can't  find  the  tracks  of  any  more,"  said  Pierre,  who 
had  been  scrutinizing  the  ground.  "  I  suspect  the  fellow 
had  been  trailing  us,  and  expected  to  make  an  easy  cap- 
ture of  our  ponies.  Those  Cheyennes  can't  let  the  chance 
of  stealing  a  horse  go  by." 

"Well,  he'll  never  steal  another,"  said  Carlos;  "he's 
dead  as  a  poisoned  wolf !  " 

"  Boys,"  said  Pierre,  "  I  guess  that  we  can  chance 
making  the  timber  on  the  Hackberry.  I  'm  satisfied  there 
are  no  more  Indians  around  here,  and  we  can  hide  just 
as  well  there.  What  do  you  all  say  ?  " 

"  We  '11  do  just  what  you  and  Carl  think  best,"  said 
Summerfield,  which  was  also  agreed  to  by  Burton. 

So  they  waited  until  their  ponies  had  filled  themselves, 
then  saddled  up,  mounted,  and,  keeping  under  the  shadow 
of  the  divide,  followed  it  down  to  the  creek  and  entered  the 
timber. 

When  they  reached  the  water,  which  was  about  three 


256  THE    DELAHOYDES 

miles  from  the  ravine  where  Pierre  had  killed  the  Chey- 
enne, they  found  themselves  at  the  precise  spot  where  they 
had  camped  the  afternoon  before  their  capture.  Of 
course  there  were  no  signs  of  their  ever  having  been  there, 
so  far  as  any  remains  of  their  camp  were  concerned ;  but 
all  recognized  an  immense  cottonwood,  and  a  curious  tree 
which  grew  up  into  a  single  trunk,  then  divided  into  two 
limbs,  one  of  which  was  an  elm  and  the  other  an  ash. 
They  had  noticed  this  freak  of  nature  when  they  camped 
there,  and  it  alone  was  sufficient  to  determine  the  ques- 
tion, for  such  anomalies  are  very  rare.  Originally  there 
had  been  two  distinct  little  twigs,  one  of  them  an  ash, 
the  other  an  elm.  So  closely  did  they  come  together  that 
eventually  they  bocame  a  single  trunk,  and  at  the  point  of 
separation  (the  "  crotch")  one  fork  was  an  ash,  the  other 
an  elm.1 

Where  they  camped,  they  discovered  that  only  very 
recently  a  large  body  of  cavalry  had  bivouacked2  at  that 
point,  and  imagined  that  some  of  General  Ouster's  com- 
mand in  following  the  trail  of  the  Indians  had  remained 
there  over-night,  for  the  hoof-prints  of  the  horses  showed 
that  they  had  been  shod;  besides,  there  were  the  remains 
of  scattered  grain  on  the  ground,  which  would  not  have 
been  the  case  if  only  a  band  of  savages  had  halted  there. 

The  boys  kept  themselves  hidden  in  the  deepest  timber 

1  This  cnrlons  tree  was  In  existence  a  dozen  years  ago.  The  author  of  this  volume 
saw  It  when  camping  there,  on  the  trail  that  Ouster  took  to  the  Canadian. 

^  Bivouac,  a  military  term  meaning  where  troops  are  without  tents  or  shelter,  In  a 
State  of  watchfulness,  ready  for  a  sudden  attack. 


A   TERRIBLE    NIGHT  257 

all  day,  and  just  as  night  began  to  fall  they  mounted  their 
ponies  again  and  started  on  their  lonely  journey.  They 
hoped  to  make  many  miles  by  daylight,  but  had  not  pro- 
ceeded a  great  way  when  the  wind  suddenly  sprang  up 
from  the  northwest,  and  the  snow  began  to  fall  in  great 
flakes,  indicating  one  of  those  fearful  storms  which  char- 
acterize the  Plains  in  the  early  winter. 

"  It 's  going  to  be  a  terrible  night,"  said  Pierro;  "  we  're 
bound  to  have  a  tough  time  of  it  if  this  wind  keeps  up." 

"  Well,  we  '11  have  to  stand  it,"  said  Summerfield, 
"  until  we  reach  the  Canadian, — as  you  say  there  is  no 
timber  between  here  and  there, — but  I  wish  that  we  were 
back  in  our  warm  skin  lodge,  until  the  storm  blows  over." 

"  Pierre,"  said  Carlos,  (as  at  dawn  they  arrived  at  the 
Canadian,  almost  frozen,)  "  don't  you  remember  that  old 
buffalo  cabin  somewhere  along  about  here  ? " 

"  Yes,  now  I  comq  to  think  of  it.  It  was  just  about 
three  miles  from  Spring  creek.  I  don't  suppose  it 's  there 
now,  though.  It's  more  than  a  year  that  we've  been 
away,  and  if  the  Indians  could  destroy  it  they  would." 

"  If  we  could  only  find  it,"  said  Burton,  "  what  luck 
it  would  be!  We  could  make  a  fire  and  keep  warm  any- 
how." 

"  Keep  a  good  lookout  for  it,"  said  Pierre ;  "  if  it  is 
in  existence  we  must  be  pretty  close  to  it.  We  passed 
Spring  creek  some  time  ago." 

In  half  an  hour,  peering  in  the  darkness  and  through 
the  almost  blinding  snow,  now  falling  thick  and  fast,  Bur- 
—  17 


258  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

ton,  whose  eyes  were  always  good,  said,  "  Pierre,  what  is 
that  dark-looking  object  looming  up  over  there  like  a 
mountain  ?  " 

Pierre  and  Carlos  both  strained  their  eyes  in  trying  to 
penetrate  the  inky  blackness,  and  in  a  moment  Pierre  said, 
"  Good !  That 's  the  old  buffalo  shanty !  Let  'a  get  to  it 
as  quickly  as  we  can.  It 's  right  on  the  trail,  and  can't 
be  more  than  a  hundred  yards  ahead." 

Presently  they  arrived  at  the  rude  structure,  which  had 
been  built  of  rough  stones,  with  a  fairly  good  dirt  roof  on 
it.  It  contained  one  room,  and  diagonally  across  one 
corner  was  a  huge  fireplace  built  of  cobblestones  from  the 
bed  of  the  Canadian.  The  door  (it  had  no  windows)  was 
made  of  saplings,  chinked  with  prairie-grass,  and  it  hung 
on  wooden  hinges,  having  a  sort  of  latch  of  the  same  ma- 
terial. It  had  been  built  by  the  buffalo-hunters  some  three 
years  before,  and  connected  with  it  was  a  small  stone 
corral  and  shelter  for  a  dozen  horses.  Near  it,  too,  was 
a  fine  spring.  It  was  common  property;  every  buffalo- 
hunter  occupied  it  in  storms,  and,  strange  to  say,  it  had 
been  left  intact  by  the  savages  on  their  raids;  probably 
because  constructed  of  stone  and  they  could  not  burn  it. 

The  boys  were  almost  wild  with  delight  as  they  rode 
up  to  the  crude  cabin  and  found  that  it  would  protect 
them  from  the  awful  storm,  which  by  the  time  they  had 
reached  the  shelter  raged  more  furiously  than  ever,  so 
that  their  ponies  could  hardly  face  it.  They,  too,  were 
almost  stiff  with  cold.  At  once  they  jumped  off  their  ani- 


NIGHT   IN   THE    OLD    CABIN  259 

mals  and  rushed  into  the  welcome  hovel,  which  they  found 
had  not  a  flake  of  snow  in  it,  the  roof  completely  whole, 
and  the  room  fairly  comfortable ;  at  least,  the  change  from 
the  outside  was  so  great  that  the  temperature  was  hot  by 
comparison. 

Fumbling  around,  Pierre  found  some  dry  pieces  of 
wood,  and  taking  out  his  flint  and  steel,  which  he  had 
somehow  managed  to  get  hold  of  before  he  stole  away 
from  the  Comanche  village,  soon  had  a  cheerful  blaze 
roaring  up  the  fireplace. 

Warming  themselves  for  a  few  moments,  so  as  to  thaw 
out,  they  then  went  to  take  care  of  their  ponies,  which 
stood  on  the  lee  side  of  the  cabin.  They  took  them  into 
the  corral,  and  found  the  shed  in  good  condition,  under 
which  the  true  little  animals  hurriedly  betook  themselves. 
The  saddles,  blankets  and  bridles  were  then  taken  into 
the  cabin,  and  the  blankets  spread  out  before  the  fire  to 
dry,  for  they  were  soaking;  and  in  a  short  time  the  boys 
were  quite  comfortable. 

While  they  were  drying  themselves  and  sparingly  par- 
taking of  their  dried  buffalo-meat,  which  now  was  almost 
exhausted,  they  talked  over  the  situation  in  which  they 
found  themselves. 

"  Well,  the  poor  ponies  will  have  to  stand  it  to-night," 
said  Pierre ;  "  but  in  the  morning,  as  soon  as  it  gets  light 
enough  for  us  to  see,  we  '11  have  to  get  them  some  cotton- 
wood  limbs1  to  feed  on." 

»In  places  where  timber  grows,  in  all  cases  where  the  white  man  finds  himself 
Bnow-bound  and  it  Is  impossible  for  his  horses  to  get  at  the  grass,  he  cuts  down  cotton- 


260  THE    DELAHOYDEB 

"  It  will  be  mighty  hard  work  to  cut  them  with  nothing 
but  our  knives,"  said  Carlos ;  "  yet  it 's  got  to  be  done, 
for  the  ponies  are  our  only  dependence.  If  we  lose  them, 
we  're  gone  up." 

"  The  wood  is  getting  short,  fellows,"  remarked  Bur- 
ton. "  We  had  best  get  outside  and  hustle  some,  for  we 
can't  stay  in  here  to-night  without  fire  and  only  four 
horse-blankets  for  covering." 

"  Then,  out  it  is,"  said  Carlos,  jumping  up  and  going 
to  the  door,  the  rest  of  the  boys  following  him.  The  wind 
was  howling  at  a  terrific  rate,  and  the  snow  was  blown 
into  their  faces  with  the  force  of  a  hurricane;  it  stung 
even  their  hardened  cheeks,  as  the  great  flakes  struck  them 
like  nettles,  while  the  fitful  blasts  nearly  carried  them  off 
their  feet,  as  they  stood  for  a  moment  trying  to  catch 
their  breath  in  the  freezing  wind. 

Pierre  saw  a  white  pile  near  the  door  as  he  stepped 
outside,  and  putting  his  hands  on  it,  to  his  delight  dis- 
covered it  to  be  a  heap  of  wood,  now  covered  with  about 
a  foot  of  snow.  The  wood  had  evidently  been  left  there 
by  the  last  hunters  who  had  occupied  the  place. 

"  That 's  a  streak  of  luck  I  did  n't  look  for,"  said  he, 
as  he  told  the  boys  what  he  had  found,  and  they  almost 
yelled  with  delight  as  they  brushed  the  snow  off  the  wood 
and  commenced  to  carry  it  into  the  cabin. 

wood  trees,  the  bark  of  which  the  animals  are  fond  of  and  which  sustains  life  as  well  as 
does  the  grass,  for  a  time.  Where  the  mulberry  can  be  found,  It  Is  preferred  to  the 
cottonwood  ;  but  the  former  Is  limited  to  a  relatively  narrow  belt  on  the  border  of  (he 
Great  Plains,  while  the  cottonwood  abounds  along  the  margins  of  most  of  the  streams 
all  over  the  West. 


NIGHT   IN    THE    OLD    CABIN  261 

There  was  more  than  enough  taken  in  in  a  few  minutes 
(and  even  then  the  pile  was  not  exhausted)  to  last  them 
until  broad  daylight.  They  piled  the  fresh  fuel  on  the 
glowing  embers,  and  instantly  the  red  flames  shot  up  the 
throat  of  the  huge  chimney  like  the  blast  of  an  iron  fur- 
nace, for  the  wind  gave  it  a  terrific  draft. 

It  required  about  two  hours  for  the  blankets  to  dry, 
and  then  spreading  them  out  on  the  earth  floor,  the  boys 
found  them  only  wide  enough  to  allow  two  to  lie  down  at 
a  time;  so  they  determined  to  watch  by  twos  and  sleep 
the  same  way. 

Summerfield  and  Pierre,  declaring  themselves  by  seni- 
ority to  be  entitled  to  watch  first,  insisted  that  Carlos 
and  Burton  should  lie  down  at  once,  and  when  they  had 
slept  three  hours,  as  nearly  as  Pierre  and  Summerfield 
could  guess,  they  were  to  be  called  and  take  their  turn. 

The  room,  which  was  only  about  ten  feet  square,  was 
thoroughly  warmed,  and  although  there  were  no  windows, 
the  immense  fireplace,  which  was  almost  the  width  of  the 
entire  room,  gave  perfect  ventilation,  and  the  boys  did' 
not  suffer  in  the  least  from  vitiated  air. 

Carlos  and  Burton,  Pierre  and  Summerfield  both  in- 
sisting, reluctantly  threw  themselves  on  the  blankets, 
thinking  that  it  was  unjust  for  the  older  boys  to  stand 
guard  first.  While  the  latter  seated  themselves  on  their 
saddles  (the  other  two  were  used  by  the  sleepers  for  pil- 
lows) they  commenced  to  talk  quietly,  so  as  not  to  disturb 
their  worn-out  companions. 


262  THE    DELAHOYDES 

Summerfield,  of  course,  had  to  fill  his  pipe.  He  was 
more  like  an  Indian  than  the  others  in  that  particular. 
But  he  was  now  confined  to  the  savage's  tobacco,  the  bark 
of  the  red  willow.  The  genuine  article  he  had  not  even 
seen  for  more  than  six  months,  when  he  happened  to  get 
a  little  from  old  Red  Bear  one  day  when  he  was  in  a 
specially  good  humor,  and  gave  Summerfield  about  two 
pipefuls  of  the  precious  stuff. 

After  the  two  had  sat  quietly  for  a  few  moments  while 
Summerfield  was  struggling  with  his  pipe  to  keep  it 
lighted, — for  his  tobacco  had  become  very  wet  in  his 
pocket, — the  wolves  set  up  a  most  dismal  howling,  appar- 
ently but  a  short  distance  from  the  cabin. 

"  They  're  after  our  ponies,"  said  Pierre ; "  but  they  can't 
get  at  them, — the  stone  wall  is  too  high ;  and  as  I  told  you 
a  great  while  ago,  the  wolf  is  a  mighty  poor  climber.  They 
will  have  to  satisfy  their  appetites  with  yelping.  It 's  a 
mighty  lucky  thing  for  us  that  there  is  a  corral  here,  or 
we  should  certainly  have  lost  our  ponies  to-night  if  we 
had  been  obliged  to  picket  them  out.  The  wolves  are 
terribly  bold  now  during  such  a  storm.  I  suppose  there 
are  at  least  twenty  of  them  outside,  judging  from  the  howl- 
ing they  keep  up.  They  would  probably  like  to  get  at 
us  too,  but  they  smell  the  fire,  and  dare  not  come  any 
nearer  than  the  corral.  They  '11  all  be  gone  by  daylight." 

"  Let 's  eat  a  bite,"  said  Summerfield ;  and  he  went  to 
the  parflcsche  packet  which  held  their  dried  buffalo-meat, 
and  as  he  took  out  a  portion,  said  to  Pierre:  "I  guess 


NIGHT  IN   THE   OLD   CABIN  263 

we  won't  have  anything  to  eat  to-morrow  night,  if  we  don't 
kill  something  to-morrow;  there  is  only  meat  enough  left 
for  breakfast  and  dinner !  " 

"  Well,  then  we  '11  have  to  shoot  something,"  said  Pierre. 
"  I  hoped  that  we  would  have  enough  to  last  until  we 
got  to  the  forks  of  the  Beaver  and  the  Wolf,  but  this  storm 
has  played  hob  with  all  our  calculations,  and  it  may  con- 
tinue all  day  to-morrow.  We  can't  start  out  while  it 
snows,  and  after  it  stops  we  must  wait  until  some  of  it  is 
melted  so  we  can  see  the  trail,  and  find  some  grass  for  the 
ponies." 

When  they  thought  their  three  hours  were  up,  they  woke 
Carlos  and  Burton,  who  promptly  obeyed  the  summons, 
and  took  their  places  near  the  fire  on  the  saddles,  while 
Pierre  and  Summerfield  threw  themselves  down  on  the 
warm  blankets  to  rest  for  their  three  hours. 

Carlos  and  Burton  talked  about  all  sorts  of  things,  and 
forgot  all  about  going  to  sleep  again  until  daylight  came 
streaming  down  the  throat  of  the  great  chimney.  Then 
they  went  to  the  door  and  looked  out.  It  was  still  snow- 
ing hard,  but  the  wind  did  not  blow  so  furiously  as  during 
the  night.  The  earth  was  now  covered  to  the  depth  of 
nearly  two  feet,  and  Carlos  told  Burton  he  had  never  seen 
so  much  snow  on  the  ground  before, — that  it  was  the  worst 
storm  he  had  ever  known  of  since  he  was  born. 

Of  course  the  daylight  was  a  dull  ashen  gray,  and  as 
they  could  not  tell  by  any  possible  means  what  time  it  was, 
thought  best  to  wake  Pierre  and  Summerfield,  and  all  go 


204  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

and  attend  to  the  ponies,  \vbich  must  be  nearly  starved 
by  now. 

Pierre  and  Summerfield  got  up  the  moment  they  were 
called,  and  without  thinking  of  their  breakfast,  after 
washing  at  the  spring  and  taking  a  good  drink  of  the 
water,  started  out  to  get  some  cottonwood  limbs  for  their 
animals. 

Before  they  had  left  the  cabin,  Carlos  in  prowling 
around  came  upon  an  axe,  which,  though  not  very  sharp, 
was  a  prize  to  them  just  then,  for  without  it  they  had 
nothing  but  their  hunting-knives  with  which  to  cut  down 
the  small  trees  necessary  to  the  salvation  of  their  ponies. 

Going  to  the  corral,  Burton  and  Carlos  took  the  ani- 
mals down  to  the  spring,  while  Pierre  and  Summerfield 
went  out  into  the  timber,  and  selecting  some  of  the  smallest 
of  the  cottonwood  saplings,  commenced  to  work  at  them 
vigorously  with  the  axe,  taking  "  turns  about "  until  they 
had  felled  what  they  thought  would  be  enough  to  last  the 
ponies  until  the  next  morning,  at  least.  When  Burton 
and  Carlos  had  finished  watering  the  ponies,  they  went  to 
where  Pierre  and  Summerfield  were  chopping,  and  car- 
ried the  trees  to  the  corral,  getting  them  all  there  by  the 
time  sufficient  had  been  cut  down. 

The  boys  returned  to  the  cabin  well  satisfied  with  their 
success  in  getting  forage  for  their  favorite  animals,  ate 
their  own  breakfast,  and  found  that  only  enough  of  the 
meat  was  left,  as  Summerfield  had  suggested,  to  last  for 
one  more  meal. 


PIERRE    KILLS   A   DEER  265 

"  We  've  got  to  get  something  to  eat,"  said  Pierre. 
"  Suppose  that  Summerfield  and  I  go  out  and  try  to  find 
something,  while  you  and  Carlos,"  addressing  himself  to 
Burton,  "  stay  here  and  keep  up  the  fire  and  watch  things, 
as  it  won't  do  to  leave  the  ponies  and  our  things  alone." 

"  All  right,"  said  Burton ;  "  Carl  and  I  will  bring  in 
enough  of  that  wood  to  last  us  while  you  and  Summerfield 
are  gone." 

"  Get  your  rifle,  Summerfield,"  said  Pierre ;  "  we  must 
start  right  away,  for  we  don't  want  to  be  out  in  this  storm 
any  longer  than  we  can  help.  All  we  can  hope  to  get  will 
be  a  deer,  as  nothing  else  will  be  here  in  the  timber,  and 
we  can't  venture  out  on  the  prairie  to  hunt  for  an  ante- 
lope." 

Summerfield  filled  that  everlasting  pipe,  and  both  he 
and  Pierre  started  out  for  the  river,  wading  through  the 
snow  up  to  their  knees,  knowing  that  if  they  kept  along- 
side the  stream  there  was  no  danger  of  their  getting  lost. 
It  was  terribly  cold,  but  the  wind  had  moderated  so  that 
it  did  not  bother  them  much,  as  they  walked  as  briskly  as 
they  could,  hoping  to  find  something  in  a  short  time,  and 
not  be  obliged  to  wander  many  miles  without  seeing  any 
animal  good  to  eat. 

They  had  proceeded  about  half  a  mile  from  the  cabin, 
when  Pierre,  who  was  a  little  in  advance,  stopped  short, 
and  put  his  hand  on  Summerfield's  shoulder,  at  which  the 
latter,  too,  halted.  Pierre  pointed  with  his  hand  to  a 
large  box-elder  tree,  about  two  feet  in  diameter,  and 


266  (THE    DELAHOYDE8 

showed  him  a  deer,  whose  head  was  completely  masked 
by  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  but  whose  left  side  was  boldly 
beyond  it.  Raising  his  rifle,  and  taking  careful  aim,  he 
pulled  the  trigger,  and  the  doe  (for  such  it  proved  to  be) 
dropped  dead  without  a  struggle. 

They  both  went  up  to  their  lucky  quarry,  and  while 
Pierre  cut  the  animal's  throat  to  let  it  bleed,  Summer- 
field  commenced  to  take  off  its  hide,  at  which  in  another 
moment  Pierre  assisted  him.  Then,  throwing  the  skin 
away,  for  they  had  no  use  for  it  there,  they  eviscerated 
the  doe,  and  tying  its  legs  together,  hung  it  on  a  pole  they 
found  near,  and  so  transported  it  to  the  cabin  by  resting 
one  end  of  the  pole  on  a  shoulder  of  each. 

Burton  and  Carlos  had  heard  the  report  of  the  rifle, 
and  when  Pierre  and  Summerfield  approached  the  cabin 
they  were  standing  outside  eagerly  watching  for  them, 
and  when  they  saw  the  doe  on  their  shoulders  they  took  off 
their  hats  and  waved  them,  congratulatory  of  their  suc- 
cess. 

When  Pierre  and  Summerfield  entered  the  cabin  they 
found  that  the  boys  during  their  absence  had  not  only 
brought  enough  wood  in  to  last  until  morning,  but  that 
they  had  built  an  unusually  hot  fire  for  their  especial 
benefit,  knowing  they  would  be  very  cold  after  their  hunt. 

While  they  were  all  cutting  up  the  doe,  which  weighed 
over  seventy-five  pounds,  Carlos  said :  "  Well,  we  've  got 
enough  meat  now  to  last  five  days  without  another  morsel, 


COOKING   MEAT   IN   THE   FIREPLACE  267 

and  the  beauty  of  it  is  that  we  shan't  lose  any,  for  it  will 
keep  in  this  weather  without  drying." 

"Yes,  said  Pierre;  "but  if  the  weather  clears  off,  I 
hope  we  shall  be  in  the  fort  on  the  Beaver  before  five  days 
have  passed.  We  ought  to  be  able  to  start  out  to-morrow 
night  if  it  clears  any  time  to-day — though  I  did  not  see 
any  signs  of  it  when  we  were  out." 

The  meat  was  cut  up  into  convenient  strips  for  carry- 
ing at  the  backs  of  their  saddles  and  apportioned  equally 
to  each  one,  but  was  hung  outside  of  the  cabin  on  a  tree, 
for  it  was  too  warm  inside. 

By  the  time  the  meat  was  taken  care  of,  the  boys,  al- 
though they  could  not  tell  what  the  hour  was,  felt  by  the 
cravings  of  their  stomachs  that  it  must  be  time  to  eat 
again.  So  each  one  cut  off  choice  portions  of  the  deer, 
and,  hunting  some  fine  branches  of  the  willow,  trimmed 
them  into  skewers  upon  which  they  broiled  their  portions 
before  the  glowing  embers,  the  fire  having  purposely  been 
allowed  to  go  down,  as  the  room  was  warm,  to  make  just 
the  right  kind  of  coals  to  cook  it. 

The  fireplace  was  large  enough  to  permit  them  all  to 
broil  their  meat  at  once,  and  there  was  a  general  sputter- 
ing as  they  sat  down  on  the  earth  floor  and  each  one  put 
his  stick  with  the  meat  upon  it  before  the  coals,  and  pa- 
tiently watched  it  until  it  was  done  to  a  turn. 

"  How  I  wish  that  we  had  some  salt !  "  said  Summer- 
field,  as  he  tore  off  a  little  piece  of  the  meat  with  his 
hunting-knife  and  put  it  into  his  mouth. 


208  THE  DELAHOYDEB 

"  I  brought  some  along,"  broke  in  Carlos ;  "  I  forgot 
all  about  it;"  and  he  reached  down  into  the  inside  pocket 
of  his  coat  and  pulled  out  a  buckskin  package,  which  he 
opened,  and  displayed  about  two  ounces  of  the  precious 
stuff. 

All  grasped  some  of  it  with  avidity,  and  then  their 
meat  tasted  much  better,  with  the  addition  of  the  neces- 
sary condiment,  they  all  declared. 

"  Which  would  you  rather  have — salt,  or  tobacco  ?  " 
asked  Pierre  of  Summerfield. 

"  Tobacco,  of  course,"  replied  he.  "  A  man  can  get 
along  without  salt,  but  if  he  loves  to  smoke,  he  must  have 
tobacco." 

They  all  laughed  at  him,  and  even  Burton,  who  was 
an  inveterate  smoker,  said,  "  Well,  I  '11  take  salt  in  mine 
every  time." 

"  I  should  like  to  get  a  taste  of  the  real  stuff  once  more," 
said  Summerfield  as  he  vigorously  puffed  his  pipe,  "  and 
I  shall  be  glad  if  we  ever  get  where  there  is  a  sutler's 
store,  so  1  can  beg,  borrow  or  buy  some." 

"  I  guess  that  we  would  better-  cook  all  the  meat,"  sug- 
gested Pierre ;  "  for  we  may  not  be  able  or  dare  to  make 
a  fire  after  we  leave  here." 

So  they  watered  the  ponies,  and  finding  that  there  was 
not  enough  cottonwood  to  last  them  during  the  day,  Pierre 
said,  "  We  '11  have  to  get  them  some  more  roughness, — 
then  we  '11  cook  the  meat." 

"Roughness!"  said  Summerfield;  "what's  that?" 


LEAVING    THE    CABIN  269 

"  That  Js  a  Western  term  for  anything  that  a  horse  or 
cattle  will  eat,  excepting  grain, — grass,  hay,  or  cottonwood 
limbs." 

Sumrnerfield  and  Burton  laughed,  and  the  latter  said, 
"  I  should  think  that  they  had  roughness  enough  where 
they  are !  " 

Cutting  cottonwood  limbs  and  packing  them  to  the  cor- 
ral occupied  all  the  rest  of  the  forenoon,  and  after  eat- 
ing their  dinner  the  boys  went  diligently  to  work  and 
broiled  the  rest  of  the  doe,  which  required  pretty  much 
all  the  remainder  of  the  day. 

That  night  the  storm  abated  somewhat,  but  it  was  still 
very  cold,  and  the  snow  did  not  melt  at  all ;  so  for  two  days 
more  they  were  compelled  to  remain  in  the  old  stone  cabin, 
eating,  cutting  cottonwood  for  the  ponies,  and  sleeping. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth  day  since  they  had  occu- 
pied the  cabin,  the  sun  came  out,  the  air  from  the  south 
was  very  warm,  and  the  snow  began  to  melt  rapidly. 

By  night  the  trail  was  plainly  discernible,  and  they 
made  preparations  to  leave  as  soon  as  it  grew  dark.  The 
ponies  were  saddled,  and  were  in  fine  condition  after  their 
long  rest,  notwithstanding  they  had  eaten  only  the  bark 
of  the  cottonwood  trees.  The  remains  of  the  cooked 
deer-meat  were  divided  equally,  tied  behind  their  saddles, 
and  they  rode  out  into  the  night  feeling  very  hopeful  that 
in  two  more  nights,  at  least,  they  would  reach  the  forks  of 
the  Beaver  and  Wolf. 

They  traveled  all  night,  and  just  at  the  break  of  day 


270  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

camped  in  a  sheltered  little  bend  of  the  river,  under  a 
high  bluff  which  formed  the  boundary  of  the  stream  on 
the  south  side.  They  had  hardly  gotten  the  saddles  off 
their  ponies,  when  their  ears  were  greeted  by  a  strange 
sound. 

"  Hark !  "  said  Summerfield ;  "  what 's  that  ?  " 

They  all  listened,  and  Pierre  spoke  up :  "  It  sounds 
like  a  bugle!" 

"  So  it  does ! "  all  reechoed  as  they  stood  still  to  catch 
the  strange  sound. 

"  Let  me  go  on  top  of  the  bluff,"  said  Summerfield, 
t(  and  perhaps  I  may  find  out  something.  Soldiers  are 
certainly  somewhere  in  the  vicinity !  " 

Summerfield  started  quite  lively  for  the  top  of  the 
bluff,  and  after  having  been  gone  only  a  few  moments, 
came  rushing  down,  waving  his  hat,  and  almost  out  of 
breath,  said :  "  It 's  the  fort !  I  can  see  the  flag  waving 
in  the  breeze,  and  it 's  not  more  than  two  miles  away !  " 

"  Hurrah ! "  shouted  Pierre.  "  Saddle  up  again. 
"  Don't  let 's  wait  for  breakfast  or  anything  else,  but  get 
there  as  soon  as  we  can !  " 

So,  with  feelings  excited  at  the  thought  of  the  ending 
of  their  eventful  journey,  they  hurriedly  saddled  and 
rode  up  on  the  bluff,  to  take  a  look  at  "  Old  Glory,"  and 
the  haven  of  all  their  hopes. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

JOY  AT  CAMP  SUPPLY. GENERAL  SHERIDAN^S  BUFFALO- 
HUNT. ARRIVAL  OF  THE  LOST  BOYS. DINE  WITH  GEN- 
ERAL CUSTER. ON  THE  TRAIL  TO  FORT  DODGE. 

SLAUGHTER     OF     THE     WORN-OUT     CAVALRY     HORSES. 

ABANDONMENT  OF  THEIR  BABIES  BY  THE  SQUAWS. AR- 
RIVAL   AT    FORT    HARKER. JOYFUL    MEETING    OF    THE 

DELAHOYDES. SUMMERFIELD   AND    BURTON   LEAVE    FOR 

THEIR  HOME. AFTER  GRADUATING,  RETURN  TO  KANSAS, 

AND   ARE    NOW    WEALTHY    RANCHMEN. ANNUAL    REUN- 
IONS OF  THE  DELAHOYDES  AND  THEIR  BOSTON  FRIENDS. 

THE  second  of  December,  1SG8,  broke  over  the  can- 
tonment at  the  junction  of  the  Wolf  and  Beaver 
rivers  with  cloudless  skies  and  a  temperature  de- 
lightful in  its  mildness.  It  was  a  charming  day,  char- 
acteristic of  the  midwinter  weather  on  the  Central  Plains 
after  such  a  terrible  storm  as  had  just  ended,  and  during 
which  General  Custer  made  his  memorable  march  and 
attack  on  the  village  of  the  Cheyennes  on  the  Washita; 
through  which,  also,  the  lost  boys  persistently  plodded  in 
making  their  escape  from  the  camp  of  Red  Bear,  the  chief 
of  the  Comanches.  The  snow  still  covered  the  prairie  in 
spots,  but  was  rapidly  disappearing  under  the  influence 
of  the  warm  south  breeze. 

Flags  were  flying  everywhere  over  the  rude  buildings 
of  the  primitive  fort,  in  honor  of  the  great  victory  Gen- 

(271) 


272  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

eral  Custer  and  his  gallant  troopers  had  effected,  who 
were  now  taking  a  well-deserved  rest  after  a  campaign 
almost  unparalleled  in  its  hardships.  The  prisoners  taken 
in  the  fight,  numbering  fifty-three,  were  encamped  on  the 
margin  of  the  creek,  guarded  by  a  detachment  of  infantry, 
anxiously  waiting  for  the  morrow,  when  they  were  to  be 
transported  by  wagon-train  to  Fort  Dodge,  on  the  Ar- 
kansas, where  they  were  to  remain  until  their  final  dispo- 
sition was  determined  upon  by  the  authorities  in  Washing- 
ton. 

General  Sheridan  and  his  brilliant  personal  staff  were 
still  at  Camp  Supply,  and  that  morning,  in  company  with 
several  other  officers  belonging  to  the  garrison,  were  in- 
dulging in  a  buffalo-hunt,  as  the  whole  region  for  miles 
in  every  direction  was  covered  with  the  shaggy  animals. 
As  it  was  not  at  all  probable  that  the  immense  herd  would 
remain  in  the  vicinity  for  more  than  another  day,  ad- 
vantage was  taken  of  their  presence  for  a  few  hours'  ex- 
citing sport. 

With  the  party  of  hunters  was  the  renowned  chief  of 
scouts,  W.  F.  Cody,  afterward  known  all  over  the  world 
as  "  Buffalo  Bill,"  and  probably  the  most  successful  all- 
around  shot  in  the  world  at  that  time. 

When  they  had  reached  a  point  about  three  miles  from 
the  fort,  there  suddenly  appeared  coming  over  the  bluffs 
bordering  Wolf  creek,  a  party  of  four  individuals,  who 
from  their  dress  seemed  to  be  Indians.  The  General  im- 
mediately dispatched  Cody  and  two  other  of  his  couriers 


MEETING   WITH    "BUFFALO    BILL"  ^273 

to  ride  toward  them  and  find  out  who  they  were,  as  lead- 
ing men  of  the  various  tribes  were  daily  coming  in  to 
surrender  themselves  and  followers. 

When  Cody  and  his  scouts  arrived  within  hailing  dis- 
tance of  the  strange-looking  group,  he  stopped,  still  be- 
lieving them  to  be  Indians,  and  putting  up  both  of  his 
hands  with  the  palms  outward,  the  sign  of  friendship, 
called  out  to  them  to  halt. 

The  boys  (for  they  were  our  old  friends)  immediately 
responded  by  gestures  similar  to  those  which  the  chief  of 
scouts  had  made,  and  then  rode  boldly  toward  him.  As 
they  came  up,  they  were  instantly  recognized  as  white, 
notwithstanding  their  bronzed  faces  and  savage  garb. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  inquired  Cody  as  they  drew  up  on 
their  ponies  within  three  feet  of  him. 

''  We  are  the  Delahoyde  boys,  and  two  other  young  men, 
Summerileld  and  Burton ;  have  just  escaped  from  the  Co- 
manches,  where  we  have  been  prisoners  for  more  than  a 
year  and  a  half,"  answered  Pierre,  who  acted  as  spokes- 
man for  the  rest. 

"  Don't  you  know  my  dad, — Delahoyde,  the  old  trap- 
per ? "  interrupted  Carlos. 

•'*'  Why,  certainly !  "  said  Cody;  "  every  one  in  the  whole 
country  knows  him.  So  you  are  his  boys,  and  these  other 
young  men  are  the  ones  whom  General  Sheridan  has  been 
having  so  much  correspondence  about  with  their  parents 
in  Boston." 


—  18 


274  THE    DELAHOYDES 

"  Where  is  our  dad  ? "  anxiously  inquired  Pierre  of  the 
scout.  "  Do  you  know  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  quickly  responded  Cody,  noticing  the  look  of 
filial  solicitude  on  the  countenances  of  the  two  boys,  as 
Pierre  asked  the  question.  "  Your  father,  and  mother, 
too,  are  all  right.  Your  father  is  at  Foil  Barker,  em- 
ployed in  the  quartermaster's  department.  They  have 
grieved  very  much  over  your  disappearance  from  the  ranch, 
but  your  father  has  always  said  that  you  would  turn  up 
sooner  or  later,  and  get  away  all  right  from  the  savages. 

"  You  would  better  all  go  with  me  now  to  General  Sher- 
idan ;  he  's  over  there,"  pointing  with  his  quirt1  to  where  a 
group  of  officers  were  standing  watching  the  meeting  of  the 
scouts  and  the  strangers. 

Then  they  rode  up  to  where  the  General  was  waiting 
for  them,  and  upon  arriving,  Cody  said :  "  General,  these 
two  youngest  boys  are  Delahoyde's  sons,  and  the  others — 
what  are  their  names? — those  parties  whose  fathers  have 
written  to  you  so  continuously  about  them." 

"  Oh,  Summerfield  and  Burton,"  interrupted  the  Gen- 
eral, as  he  cordially  shook  hands  with  the  four  young  fel- 
lows, and  congratulated  them  upon  their  escape  from  the 
Indians. 

"  It 's  a  mighty  fortunate  occurrence  for  you,"  con- 
tinued he,  "  that  you  effected  your  escape  before  the  bat- 
tle of  the  Washita,  for  all  the  captives  held  by  every  tribe, 

1  Quirt,  a  rldlng-whlp  with  a  short  wooden  or  stiff  leather  handle  and  a  braided 
rawhide  lash :  used  In  the  western  United  States  and  In  Spanish-American  countries. 


INTERVIEW    WITH    GENERAL    8HERIDAN  275 

with  one  or  two  exceptions,  were  brutally  murdered  the 
moment  the  news  of  the  defeat  of  Black  Kettle  reached 
their  villages,  as  I  have  been  told  by  my  scouts. 

"  You  would  better  go  on  to  the  fort  now ;"  and  turning 
to  one  of  his  couriers,  he  ordered  him  to  conduct  the  young 
men  there.  "  We  shall  soon  be  through  our  hunt,  and 
will  see  you  later,  as  I  want  to  have  a  long  talk  with  you. 
To-morrow  I  will  send  you  to  Fort  Harker  with  the  train 
which  is  going  to  take  the  Indian  prisoners  there,  and 
from  there  you  young  Bostonians,"  addressing  himself 
to  Summerfield  and  Burton,  "can  go  to  Fort  Hays  and 
take  the  cars  for  home.  How  are  your  ponies — in  good 
condition  ?  " 

"  Excellent,"  replied  Pierre ;  "  they  are  good  for  any 
trip." 

Turning  to  Summerfield  again,  the  General  said :  "  You 
will  find  lots  of  letters  at  the  sutler's  store1  for  you.  They 
have  been  accumulating  for  months.  I  've  had  consider- 
able correspondence  with  your  parents,  and  will  send  a 
telegram  to  them  by  a  courier  who  leaves  this  evening  for 
Fort  Harker,  that  you  are  safe  and  well.  You  would  bet- 
ter send  one  too.  I  suppose  that  you  are  out  of  funds,  so 
I  will  pay  for  it.  Your  parents  will  immediately  forward 
money  for  you  to  get  home  with ;  but  if  you  want  to  start 
before  you  receive  an  answer,  I  will  furnish  what  funds 
you  may  need." 

1  "Sutler's  store,"  a  store  at  military  posts,  or  In  the  field,  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  troops.  The  proprietor  Is  called  a  sutler. 


276  THE    DELAHOYDES 

Summerfield  and  Burton  both  thanked  the  General  for 
his  kind  offers,  and  then  all  followed  the  scout  to  the  fort, 
where  they  arrived  in  about  fifteen  minutes. 

On  the  way,  Pierre  asked  the  scout  what  had  become 
of  Dick  Curtis,  the  Indian  trader;  and  at  the  same  time 
Summerfield  inquired  after  his  faithful  valet,  Romeo,  the 
Mexican. 

"  Poor  fellows !  "  replied  the  scout,  "  they  were  both 
killed  by  the  Cheyennes.  We  found  their  bodies  on  the 
trail  to  Fort  Sill.  Curtis  must  have  been  surprised  by 
the  savages,  for  his  head  was  resting  on  his  saddle,  in 
a  little  ravine  where  he  had  incautiously  gone  to  sleep; 
his  breast  filled  with  arrows,  his  scalp  missing,  and  his 
body  horribly  mutilated.  We  did  not  find  the  Mexican 
until  the  next  day,  about  fifteen  miles  from  where  Curtis 
was  killed.  I  suppose  they  captured  him  alive,  and  get- 
ting tired  of  taking  him  to  their  camp,  just  murdered  him 
to  save  themselves  the  trouble  of  bothering  with  him  any 
further." 

All  the  boys  felt  grieved  over  the  news  of  Curtis's  death, 
for  he  was  an  excellent  man,  and  had  been  a  lifelong 
friend  of  the  Delahoydes;  and  Romeo  had  become  quite 
a  favorite  with  the  young  Bostonians,  because  of  his  faith- 
fulness in  their  service. 

Upon  arriving  at  the  fort,  all  the  boys  wore  introduced 
to  General  Custer,  who  was  standing  at  the  entrance  to 
his  tent  watching  their  approach.  After  shaking  hands 
very  cordially,  he  ordered  their  ponies  taken  care  of  by  an 


DINING   WITH   THE    GENERAL  27? 

orderly.  Then,  inviting  the  boys  inside  his  tent,  he  began 
to  question  them  quite  at  length  concerning  the  Coman- 
ches ;  their  strength,  the  locality  of  their  village,  the  num- 
ber of  the  warriors  they  could  muster,  and  everything  else 
by  which  he  could  profit. 

After  the  bright  young  fellows  had  imparted  all  the 
information  the  General  desired,  he  ordered  an  excellent 
dinner  prepared  for  them  by  his  own  cook,  and  when  in 
about  half  an  hour  they  sat  down  to  it,  and  tasted  coffee, 
hard-tack  and  butter,  their  feelings  of  gratification  at  once 
more  eating  like  Christians  may  better  be  imagined  than 
described. 

After  dinner  was  over,  the  Bostonians  spent  an  hour  in 
writing  letters,  as  at  the  end  of  that  time  the  courier  would 
be  ready  to  start  with  the  mail  for  Fort  Harker.  They 
also  sent  the  telegram  suggested  by  the  General,  when 
they  first  met  him  on  the  open  prairie. 

Upon  invitation,  that  evening  the  boys  had  the  honor 
of  taking  supper  with  General  Sheridan  and  his  staff. 
When  the  meal  was  disposed  of,  all  gathered  in  front  of 
the  tent,  where  a  brisk  fire  was  burning,  and  they  passed 
a  delightful  evening  in  roasting  buffalo  shinbones  and  in 
conversation.  The  conversation  was  kept  up  until  after 
ten  o'clock,  the  young  adventurers  having  to  do  most  of 
the  entertaining,  by  answering  the  host  of  questions  put 
to  them  relating  to  the  incidents  of  their  eventful  lives 
while  prisoners  among  the  Comanches. 

Suminerfield  told  the  group  of  officers  assembled  that 


278  THE  DELAHOYDEB 

all  the  trouble  and  sufferings  they  had  experienced  were 
caused  by  his  great  desire  to  obtain  a  buffalo-head  to  take 
back  to  his  home  in  Boston ;  but  that  the  result  was  zero, 
so  far  as  a  head  was  concerned,  and  he  had  brought  only 
hardship  upon  his  companions. 

The  General  said,  laughingly :  "  There  is  an  old  adage, 
1  All  things  come  to  him  who  waits.'  We  got  some  mag- 
nificent heads  to-day  on  our  hunt,  and  you  shall  each  have 
one,  which  proves  the  truthfulness  of  the  saying,  for  you 
have  certainly  waited  with  commendable  patience  for  your 
desire."  Then,  turning  to  one  of  his  orderlies  standing 
near,  he  said  to  him :  "  Give  my  compliments  to  Mr. 
Cody,  the  chief  of  scouts,  and  ask  him  to  send  a  couple 
of  the  best  heads  down  to  *he  Indian  camp  to  be  prepared, 
so  that  they  will  keep  until  they  reach  Boston.  Then/' 
addressing  himself  to  Surnmerfield,  "  you  can  there  have 
a  regular  taxidermist  finish  them  for  you." 

Summerfield  and  Burton  were  profuse  in  their  thanks 
to  the  General  for  his  kindness,  and  after  the  orderly  had 
departed  on  his  mission,  all  retired, — the  boys  in  a  tent 
assigned  to  them  by  General  Ouster  near  his  own,  where 
with  plenty  of  buffalo-robes  they  slept  very  soundly  and 
peacefully  for  the  first  time  in  two  weeks. 

The  next  morning,  contrary  to  all  expectations,  opened 
with  a  fearful  blizzard  of  blinding  snow  and  furious  wind 
from  the  north;  but  after  a  good  breakfast,  the  train  of 
eight  hundred  wagons,  with  the  Indian  prisoners  stowed 
in  as  many  of  them  as  were  necessary,  with  an  escort  of 


OFF    FOR   FORT   HARKER  279 

one  squadron  of  cavalry,  two  hundred  and  forty  dis- 
mounted troopers  and  one  company  of  infantry,  started 
for  Fort  Harker  via  Fort  Dodge,  Accompanying  the  train 
were  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  worn-out  horses  of  Ous- 
ter's command,  which  it  was  the  intention  should  be  taken  to 
the  fort  to  recuperate.  The  commanding  officer  of  the  es- 
cort, however,  expressed  his  doubts  to  General  Sheridan 
whether  he  would  be  able  to  get  them  there,  on  account  of 
the  terrible  storm,  and  there  was  no  dependence  for  what 
they  were  to  subsist  upon  but  such  grass  as  they  might  find 
under  the  snow.  The  General  replied,  not  by  any  means 
to  allow  them  to  be  caught  alive  by  the  wolves,  but  to  ex- 
ercise his  own  judgment  as  to  their  disposition  in  case 
he  could  not  get  them  along.  „ 

The  buffalo-heads  and  the  equipage  belonging  to  the 
boys  were  placed  in  one  of  the  ambulances,  but  they  them- 
selves preferred  to  ride  their  ponies  instead  of  using  an 
ambulance, — particularly  as  the  commanding  officer  waa 
compelled  to  stick  to  his  horse  at  the  head  of  the  column, 
where,  with  a  compass  on  his  saddle-bow,  he  led  the  way 
on  the  now  obliterated  trail  down  the  river,  the  terrible 
wind  and  the  blinding  snow  making  it  impossible  to  see 
ten  feet  ahead ! 

The  poor  horses  were  trailing  slowly  behind,  and  it  re- 
quired the  utmost  efforts  of  the  infantry  in  the  rear  to 
prevent  the  wolves,  which  hung  in  packs  on  their  tracks, 
from  getting  at  them. 

By  dint  of  almost  herculean  heroism  on  the  part  of  the 


280  THE    DELAHOYDES 

soldiers,  twelve  miles  were  made  by  three  o'clock,  when, 
with  frosted  feet  and  hands,  they  camped  in  the  friendly 
timber  of  the  Beaver. 

Tents  were  put  up,  and  large  fires  kindled,  by  means 
of  which  all  were  soon  rendered  relatively  comfortable. 
The  played-out  cavalry  horses  were  so  harassed  by  the 
wolves,  which  kept  increasing  in  numbers  as  night  came 
on,  and  as  there  was  no  forage  for  them,  it  was  deemed 
advisable  to  kill  them  to  prevent  their  falling  alive  into 
the  rapacious  jaws  of  the  persistent  brutes  which  were 
snarling  and  snapping  among  themselves  by  the  hundreds, 
almost  inside  the  very  camp.  So  the  poor  animals  were 
taken  a  few  rods  from  the  trail  and  mercifully  shot,  in 
order  to  save  them  from  the  more  cruel  fate  of  falling  by 
the  wayside  to  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the  rapacious  mon- 
sters which  were  sure  to  get  them  eventually. 

After  the  slaughter  was  ended,  such  a  growling,  fight- 
ing, snapping  and  snarling  while  the  famished  brutes 
pounced  upon  their  now  easily  acquired  quarry,  has  rarely 
been  heard;  and  before  morning  the  bones  of  the  luckless 
animals  which  had  done  such  good  service,  were  picked  as 
clean  as  it  is  possible  for  a  wolf  to  accomplish  it. 

During  the  night  the  storm  abated,  the  snow  ceased 
falling,  but  the  wind  continued  to  blow  furiously,  and  it 
was  bitter  cold.  After  the  command  had  gotten  fairly 
strung  out  on  the  trail,  it  was  discovered  on  counting  the 
Indian  prisoners,  that  two  or  three  of  the  youngest,  mere 
babies  in  fact,  were  missing,  and  upon  inquiry  through 


DELAHOYDE    BOYS    MEET   THEIR   PARENTS  281 

the  interpreter,  it  was  learned  that  the  squaws  had  pur- 
posely abandoned  them  in  the  snow  at  the  camp!  An 
ambulance  was  immediately  sent  back  for  them ;  they 
were  gathered  up  without  any  apparent  injury  having 
happened  to  them,  and  returned  to  the  train. 

Before  the  train  started  on  again,  the  commanding 
officer,  through  the  interpreter,  informed  the  savages 
that  if  that  occurred  again  he  would  hang  five  of  them  to 
the  first  tree  he  came  to  on  Bluff  creek,  which  they  would 
reach  by  noon  the  next  day.  The  threat  had  its  effect;  no 
more  babies  were  left  in  camp,  but  the  best  of  care  taken  of 
them  all  the  way  to  Fort  Dodge,  where  the  train  arrived 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth  day  from  Camp  Supply, 
crossing  the  Arkansas,  which  was  filled  with  floating  ice, 
right  at  the  Fort. 

The  next  day  the  command  left  for  Fort  Harker,  where 
they  arrived  after  about  two  days'  travel. 

The  meeting  between  the  Delahoyde  boys  and  their 
parents  was  very  affecting ;  nor  was  their  joy  at  seeing  the 
Bostonians  again  less  sincere.  That  whole  evening  was 
passed  in  relating  the  sad  experiences  through  which  they 
had  all  passed,  and  reading  the  mass  of  letters  found  at  the 
sutler's  by  Summerfield  and  Burton. 

The  next  morning  an  ambulance  was  to  start  for  Fort 
Hays,  on  the  Kansas  Pacific  Railroad,  in  which,  after  an 
affectionate  farewell,  and  protestations  of  undying  friend- 
ship, the  Bostonians  rode,  they  promising  to  write  the  mo- 
ment they  arrived  home,  the  Delahoydes  watching  the 
vehicle  until  it  passed  out  of  view  over  the  divide. 


282  THE    DELAHOYDE8 

A  fortnight  had  scarcely  elapsed  since  the  departure  of 
Summerfield  and  Burton  from  Fort  Harker,  before  long 
letters  were  received  from  both  the  boys  and  their  parents, 
full  of  praise  for  the  bravery  of  Pierre  and  Carlos,  with  the 
assurance  that  each  vacation,  until  they  were  graduated, 
both  sons  would  spend  with  their  companions  in  so  much 
pleasure  and  hardships,  on  the  beautiful  Arkansas,  a 
stream  so  fraught  with  sad  and  delightful  memories. 

In  a  few  days  after  the  receipt  of  the  letters,  a  large 
box  came  by  express,  filled  with  a  choice  selection  of  books, 
and  a  magnificent  repeating-rifle  for  Carlos  and  Pierre, 
with  an  abundance  of  cartridges. 

The  war  having  ended  after  Custer's  punishment  of  the 
savages,  the  rest  of  the  tribes  were  placed  on  reservations 
provided  for  them  by  the  Government,  and  peace  once  more 
spread  its  wings  over  the  land.  The  Delahoydes  moved 
back  to  their  ranch  on  the  Arkansas,  where  a  neat  stone 
house  was  erected  to  take  the  place  of  the  old  dugout  de- 
stroyed by  the  savages. 

The  next  season  Summerfield  and  Burton,  true  to  their 
promise,  came  and  spent  their  vacation  of  three  months 
at  the  place,  where  they  fished  and  hunted  as  of  old,  but 
now  they  could  go  anywhere  without  fear  of  running 
into  a  Comanche  camp ! 

In  less  than  three  years  the  Bostonians  had  completed 
their  studies  at  Harvard,  and  were  graduated  with  honors ; 
but  so  attached  had  they  both  become  to  the  wild  and 
exciting  life  of  the  frontier,  that  they  lost  all  taste  for  the 


REMINISCENCES  283 

conventionalities  of  Eastern  civilization,  and  their  fathers, 
being  wealthy,  purchased  for  their  boys  a  couple  of  sections 
of  land,  not  many  miles  from  the  ranch  of  the  Delahoydes, 
stocked  it  with  fine  cattle,  and  both  places  are  considered 
to-day  as  among  the  finest  and  best  equipped  frontier  homes 
in  the  whole  Western  country. 

Every  fall,  Pierre,  Carlos,  Summerfield  and  Burton 
took  an  outing  of  five  or  six  weeks,  going  to  the  localities 
which  years  before  were  so  fraught  with  thrilling  adven- 
tures for  them,  camping  on  the  identical  ground ;  and  while 
smoking  their  pipes,  renewed,  in  reminiscence,  the  strange 
story  of  their  young  lives. 

At  first,  for  a  few  years,  the  buffalo,  antelope  and  wild 
turkey  still  lingered  in  their  old  haunts ;  but  as  immigration 
poured  in,  they  too  became  a  mere  picture  on  memory's 
walls,  and  only  the  ubiquitous  wolf,  the  cowardly  little 
coyote  and  the  cranes  were  left  to  form  a  living  picture  of 
the  long-ago.  The  Polled  Angus,  Ilerefords,  and  the 
broad-backed  Shorthorns  on  the  ranches  usurped  the  place 
of  the  great  shaggy  ruminants,  the  once  monarchs  of  the 
Plains,  and  that  which  was  originally  a  wild  but  pic- 
turesque region  was  transmuted  by  civilization  into  the 
most  charming  pastoral  landscape  on  the  continent. 

The  "  old  folks  "  of  both  families  visit  their  sons  very 
often,  and  the  only  regret  ever  expressed  is  that  there 
are  no  girls,  so  there  might  be  a  closer  relationship  than 
now  exists,  of  only  a  deep  friendship. 


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